The Department of Juvenile Justice – Effingham Court Services Office is helping to kick off the second annual “Love They Neighbor” campaign food fundraiser to help re-stock local food pantries.

A locally owned passenger transportation and courier service and the local food collaborative are partnering up for the second year to challenge area businesses and other organizations in a food fundraiser for local food pantries.

Get2it Inc. and the Food Outreach Cooperative of Effingham (FORCE) have teamed up for the Love Thy Neighbor campaign to help re-stock local food pantries’ shelves with nonperishable food items, personal hygiene items and cleaning products.

“The continued increase in demand for food assistance for Effingham families has exhausted a great portion of inventory from our local food pantries’ shelves,” said Bonnie Dixon, area director of Effingham’s United Way.

“In 2011, the five local food pantries served on average 962 families a month in Effingham County. This is an increase of more than 40 percent over the previous two-year period,” said Archie Jenkins, coordinator of the FORCE program.

FORCE is a collaborative made up of representatives from local churches, the school system, businesses, nonprofit organizations, civic clubs and various health and human service agencies across the county.

“FORCE works to ensure everyone in need of food assistance receives food,” Jenkins said. “In addition, through fundraising efforts and food drives, FORCE works throughout the year to keep the pantries shelves well stocked.”

The Love Thy Neighbor campaign will run through the end of February and will benefit GLOW Ministries, God’s Mission House, Manna House, the food pantry’s at Abundant Life and Rincon First Christian churches, the Fill’n Station in Guyton and Treutlen House.

To coordinate a food pick up, contact David with Get2iT,  Inc., Transportation, Errand and Courier Services at 754-6160.