Drive seeks can openers for food distribution

Mary J. Mathewson, Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County Inc. family center project manager, is busy working on yet another creative campaign.

Her goal is to collect 500 hand-held can openers for homeless people and families who might otherwise have difficulties getting into their canned food.

"The reason for the can openers is the food we get from the Food Bank of Central New York, they don't have pop-top cans, so if you have someone who's homeless, they have no access to opening them," Mrs. Mathewson said.

CAPC already works closely with the Jefferson County Department of Social Services to provide bags of food to the homeless. Mrs. Mathewson said it's been wonderful to provide that service to the homeless, but if they can't open their food, they can't eat. Last year, the Planning Council gave 300 of the food bags to Social Services.

"We want to be able to distribute them not only the bags themselves, but also to the food pantries," Mrs. Mathewson said. "They need to have can openers as well. To my knowledge, no one has done this but us."

The campaign will end Nov. 30. There are a few collection boxes throughout the county, and Mrs. Mathewson said people also can stop by CAPC, 518 Davidson St., to donate hand-held can openers.

"Knowing there are homeless people out there, we do need everyone to step up, even if it's with a $1 can opener," she said. "This is to get the community aware that homelessness is out there."

She said she'd be elated if the "Open Your Hearts" campaign is as successful as CAPC's recent "Sock-it-to-Me" drive that collected 1,724 pairs of socks from August to September. The agency also received monetary donations to purchase more socks.

The socks will be distributed among Jefferson County school districts and the North Country Children's Clinic's Women, Infants and Children federal supplemental feeding program.