‘Cage the Hunger'

For the second consecutive year, K-TIP Radio has teamed with The Porterville Recorder to help local food pantries feed local people during the Christmas holidays through the “Cage the Hunger” drive — dubbed after the wrought iron fencing surrounding the radio station’s entryway.

The radio studio’s hope is to fill the cage with canned foods to benefit four local organizations — Comision Honorifica Mexicana Americana, the Salvation Army, Porterville Area Coordinating Council and the Orange Belt Realtors.

“It hurts to know that there are people in the food lines who do not want to be there, but for whatever reason, are,” said Kent Hopper, radio talk-show personality known as ‘Hopper in the Morning’. “I, for one, can’t sit back and do nothing and I am fortunate to work for a company that feels the same way.”

Hopper, along with show personality PK the Redhead, Brian Martinez and the rest of the radio staff, are asking listeners and the community in general, to help.

“We’re not asking people to go door to door and collect money,” We are asking them to bring their canned goods, non-perishable food stuffs, and whatever they can afford to the K-TIP studios to help us cage the hunger,” Hopper said. “This is not a political thing. This is not a Left or Right thing. This is good people coming together to help our own right here locally.”

Hopper, who has personally been involved with community food and turkey drives for 15 years, said food pantries are not what they used to be.

“They are not over-flowing. They are in need and we must help,” Hopper said. “Our drive is for the upcoming Christmas and holiday season.”

Rick Elkins, editor of The Recorder, agreed.

“We had a lot of success last year when we partnered with KTIP for the Cage the Hunger drive and we expect the same success this year. We know a lot of families are hurting and we are willing to do anything we can do to help,” he said.

Elva Beltran with the Porterville Area Coordinating Council agreed.

“The need is great. A lot of families are hurting,” she said. “Hopper did an excellent job last year with ‘Cage the Hunger’ and I’m sure they will do so again this year. The Orange Belt Realtors too, they brought us four or five truck loads of food purchases and we are very thankful for them.”

Beltran said she has not seen any donations for Christmas this year but is confident the community support will come through for those less fortunate.

“This year the PAMA [Porterville Area Ministerial Association] canceled the Thanksgiving meal. There are going to be a lot of hurting and hungry people heading to Helping Hands,” Beltran said. “We are referring anyone who is wanting to bring us turkeys and other Thanksgiving food to Helping Hands. They need all the help they can get. They are going to be swamped [Thursday.]”

People wishing to donate toward Cage the Hunger can take the canned and other items to K-TIP studios, 1660 N. Newcomb St.

They can also be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Porterville Recorder office, 115 E. Oak Ave., or taken to the Porterville Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony set for 6 p.m. Friday at Centennial Park, across from Porterville City Hall.

The deadline to collect the food and non-perishable items for Cage the Hunger is Dec. 16.

Contact Esther Avila at 784-5000, Ext. 1045. Follow her on Twitter @Avila_recorder.