Every can of soup donated at Kelley Tierney State Farm in Buckhannon through Oct. 31 will be matched with a second can, as the agency’s ninth annual Soup Drive gathers food for Upshur County students who might otherwise go hungry on weekends and over school breaks.
The drive, which began Oct. 1, benefits the Upshur County Schools Backpack Program. The Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur is sponsoring it alongside the agency this year, and the office matches every donated can, can for can.
“Together we can make sure no Upshur County school child faces a hungry weekend,” Tierney wrote.
How to donate
- Drop off canned soup at Kelley Tierney State Farm, 115 East Main Street, Buckhannon, through Oct. 31. A “Soup Headquarters” banner marks the office.
- Every can donated is matched with a second can.
- Easy-open, ready-to-eat soups are especially useful, since not every child has a can opener or a microwave at home.
- Questions: call 304-472-5552.
Nine years of soup
The drive started with a question from a Buckhannon-Upshur Middle School teacher about what students would eat over Thanksgiving break. The first year’s goal was about 1,000 cans for that one school. By its third year the drive served every school in the county, and Tierney told the Rotary Club in September that it has now given more than 49,000 cans of soup to Upshur County students.
“It’s getting bigger than I thought it would ever be,” Tierney said.
Churches, clubs and businesses pitch in each year. The Chrome Dragons Motorcycle Club has again donated to this year’s drive, and Red Ridge Contracting helped put up the office’s new “Soup Headquarters” banner.
Kelley Tierney has been a State Farm agent in Buckhannon for 32 years. The agency kicked off this year’s drive on her anniversary.
“Here’s to 32 years of serving our community and 9 years of ‘serving’ soup!” she wrote.
