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Deadline for the 'Love thy Neighbor' food drive extended

Don't forget to drop off any nonperishable food items into one of the 55-gallon drums already set up in certain stores. Whatever you donate will be presented in form of a 'care package' for the more than 1,500 Starkist Samoa employees who will be without paychecks for 5 weeks when the cannery shuts down for upgrades later this month. The 'food drive' is a community service project spearheaded by Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr. and his family and the drive is extended through this coming Saturday.  [SN file photo
reporters@samoanews.com

Collection of non-perishable food items for the Love Thy Neighbor efforts to assist the nearly 2,000 StarKist Samoa employees who will be without paychecks for 5 weeks was scheduled to end last Saturday but because of the overwhelming feedback, the food drive deadline has been extended to this Saturday, Nov. 4th.Head of the Love Thy Neighbor project, Tapumanaia Galu Satele Jr. told Samoa News that the feedback had been positive and several local businesses - even some schools that have student organizations participating in the project to fulfill their community service requirements - have requested more time to collect what they can.

Other fundraisers that were held this past weekend were also considered before the extension was announced.

According to Tapumanaia, some stores have agreed to donate a huge supply of items for the project. He said everything that is collected will be bundled up in form of a 'care package' that will be distributed to Starkist Samoa workers - who show up with proper ID - on Nov. 11th.

In addition to Starkist Samoa workers, Talofa Systems Inc. employees are also affected by the 5-week shutdown which the cannery says is necessary in order to install equipment and carry out other upgrades to the Satala facilities.

Those who want to donate may do so, by dropping off non-perishable food items into one of the numerous 55-gallon drums set up in certain stores across the territory. Otherwise, they can be dropped off at one of the stake centers (west, central and east) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who have agreed to store the food items until the distribution date.