The Tribune staff reports

Area United Methodist churches collected 2,711 items and $250 during a recent food drive to boost donations to food pantries.

All donations raised through the second annual drive, called e-Race Hunger, conducted in May will go to area food pantries.

The three United Methodist churches in the Seymour area — First, Rockford and Trinity — collected 1,370 items, and those were split between pantries at Anchor House Family Assist- ance Center and Community Provisions of Jackson County Inc.

Items collected by church were First, 170; Rockford, 628; and Trinity, 344. First UMC also raised the $250.

Crothersville UMC collected 80 items for the Crothersville Food Pantry, and Cana UMC in Jennings County collected 266 items for Good Samaritan Food Pantry in North Vernon.

In Bartholomew County, Love Chapel in Columbus received 995 items — 825 from Asbury UMC and 170 from White Creek UMC.

The e-Race Hunger name is in keeping with the race themes of the Kentucky Derby and the Indianapolis 500, which are in May each year. Donations will stay in the community where they are collected.

In 2015, the food drive collected 2,398 items and $276.79.

Food pantry donations often fall low in the spring and summer, yet hunger is a year-round problem, according to a news release from TEAM REACH, a cluster of United Methodist churches in the area.