Bring Canned Food to Angels Game, Get Free Tickets, Team Pictures

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will conduct their 15th annual canned food drive during their games against the Seattle Mariners
tonight through Sunday at Angel Stadium.

The food drive for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County
couldn't be better timed, the organization's director told City News Service today.

"In terms of demand it's the worst in our history'' of 28 years, said
Joe Schoeningh, Second Harvest's director.

In 2008, when the recession began, the nonprofit was doling out about
826,000 pounds of food a month to the needy and organizations that serve them, Schoeningh said.

"Now it's 1.4 million per month,'' he said.

Related: Food Bank Reports Staggering Hunger Figures in O.C.

Summer is always a tough time for the food bank because donations dip and demand rises with children who might normally at least get fed at school on summer break, Schoeningh said.

"The supply in summer typically drops off at least a third if not more,'' Schoeningh said.

Times are even tougher now because of so much uncertainty about the
economy, Schoeningh said.

"Even some of the foundations are saying, 'Gee, we thought we could
give $10,000, but we have to hold back and give $5,000 because we're not generating the revenue we need,' '' Schoeningh said.

At the beginning of the year optimism ran higher about an economic
turnaround, but with the last two jobs reports showing lackluster growth and other troubling indicators donors are holding on tighter to their wallets, Schoeningh said.

"People had a more positive attitude about six months ago, but it stalled again,'' he said. "We haven't seen any significant return in housing and building or growth in jobs. It's just a really difficult time and nobody knows what's going to happen next, so people hold back.''

Schoeningh said Second Harvest is trying to make it clear to the public
that every little bit helps.

"There's no such thing as a small donation,'' he said.

Collection bins at the Angels games will be placed in front of the home
plate gate and inside gates 1 and 4 starting two hours before each game, continuing through the third inning.

All donors will receive an Angels team picture. Fans donating 10 or more cans or $10 or more will receive two tickets to the Angels July 20 game against the Texas Rangers, while supplies last.

All proceeds will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

For the first time, Wells Fargo will match the monetary donations up to
$10,000.

The drive is part of a larger canned food drive taking place for two
weeks at all Orange County Wells Fargo branches.

Second Harvest officials also are looking forward to July 20, when the
Orange County Fair offers free admission to visitors who donate food.