ERIE, Pa. – October 6, 2000 -- More than 7,000 meals will be provided to Erie County residents in need, thanks to the generosity of approximately 1,800 employees at Erie Insurance Group.

The first ever "Mountain of Food" in the Erie Insurance Atrium is overflowing with canned foods, packaged foods and personal care items to be donated to local United Way agencies to assist the less fortunate. More than 20,000 items have been donated, and the employees are still counting.

The Booker T. Washington Center is one agency receiving more than 1,000 items today. "This says a lot about the people at Erie Insurance," said James Sherrod, center Executive Director. "Due to budget restrictions, we don’t always have enough food to give to families on a daily basis. This will enable our center to give more and help more families over a longer period of time." The center gives food to about 40 families every week and helped 455 unduplicated families last year.

Additional agencies receiving the donations include: the Erie Center on Health and Aging, Achievement Center, Community Shelter Services, Family Services, GECAC, Hispanic American Council, International Institute, Martin Luther King Center, MHEDS, Quality of Life Learning Center, Salvation Army and St. Martin Center.

The "Mountain of Food" was organized in conjunction with the company’s United Way campaign.