Food allergy collection for Oklahoma

Sparta — Cassie Hagler had her first life threatening allergy attack at five years old. Now, five years later and a fourth grade student at Helen Morgan in Sparta, she manages her diet by avoiding all nuts and most processed foods, like cakes and cookies. When an opportunity came about to help others like her, Hagler was very eager.

When the larger, national Kids with Food Allergies organization requested support from the newly formed Sussex County Food Allergy Support and Education group via their website, a true collaboration began. As the local organization’s mission is to increase awareness, provide support to families and further educate the community on various aspects of life with food allergies, Hagler worked with both groups to conduct a food drive collecting allergy-friendly food for children in Oklahoma, where tornado damage has diminished their supply. They were looking for single serve items that organizations like the Red Cross and food pantries do not normally provide.

Hagler asked permission from her school principal to promote the drive at school. A flyer and email circulated that listed specific foods that students could donate, including gluten free snacks and pastas, rice and soy milk, canned meats, soups and, most popular of all, macaroni and cheese. Harmony Natural Foods in Sparta also held a collection, and Hagler set up camp outside Stop and Shop recently to catch people on their way in.

“I thought about what I could do and how I could help." Hagler said. "Many of my classmates gave me things that are allergy friendly."

Foods that the group deemed not-allergy friendly were donated to the Sparta Ecumenical Food Pantry.

In addition to the 201 food items collected from Stop and Shop customers, $145 was donated to help ship the food to Oklahoma.

“We had a lot of traffic at Stop and Shop and people were very happy to go in and buy things and drop them on the way out," Hagler said. "A lot of people told us they have allergies too.”

For more information about Sussex County Food Allergy Support and Education, contact facilitator Tracy Layman at t.laymanlcsw@gmail.com.