Summer means children are out of school, and not receiving subsidized breakfasts or lunches. And with fewer donations during the summer--from individuals and companies--demand for food from Sunnyvale's hungry is still strong, even as donations wane.

"If you're in need, that need doesn't go away after Christmas time," Sunnyvale Cares coordinator Pat Plant said. Sunnyvale Cares is spearheading an effort to end Sunnyvale hunger.

On July 16, the entire Sunnyvale community is coming together with Sunnyvale Cares in a mammoth food drive. They hope to raise several tons of food to be distributed to six local groups.

The drive is the first citywide event of Sunnyvale Cares, a community group formed specifically to bring churches, neighborhoods and other groups together to end hunger in Sunnyvale. Sunnyvale Cares is collecting food for six groups: Sunnyvale FISH, New Beginnings

Foursquare Church, Our Daily Bread, the Salvation Army, Senior Nutrition Program and Sunnyvale Community Services.

Plant said the group--which formed almost a year ago--began as an extension of Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church's three-year efforts to feed the hungry. The church alone has collected almost 30 tons of food in three years of donations. Plant estimated that it brings in about 1,600 pounds of food each month from community donations.

The food is quickly distributed to the ever-growing community of needy families in Sunnyvale. The need is constant, but it fluctuates with weather, seasons and work or school cycles.

"During the holidays, people tend to give more food because they get in the giving mood," Yolanda Risch, a church member, said. "But when the kids are out for the summer break, there's a shortage."

Further compounding the problem is a decrease in donations, due in part to a still-struggling economy. Nancy Tivol, executive director of Sunnyvale Community Services, said this is the first year that money had to be drawn from reserve funds to meet community needs.

By bringing in more donations, community services can give more money to residents for help with rent or medical costs, instead of pouring it into buying extra food.

"Everybody gives a little and it all adds up," Tivol said. "If everyone just brought in a couple of cans a week, we would see phenomenal results."

Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church has been a major donor to the community services shelves. According to Tivol, the church donated 12,697 pounds of food in 2003 and 19,495 pounds in 2004.

Plant said she has more than 100 volunteers ready to collect, sort, bag and deliver the food they get from donation drive. While the majority will go to the Salvation Army and Sunnyvale Community Services because they have the largest warehouse facilities, all groups will get the items they've asked for. For example, Our Daily Bread--which provides meals to the hungry three times a week--is looking for large canned goods for its food lines.

Risch said she and other Sunnyvale Cares members have distributed more than 1,000 fliers around town, to neighborhood associations, businesses and homes.

Plant said that if the drive in Sunnyvale is successful, she wants to see it expand outside of Sunnyvale.

"When it really gets going, I'd like to help replicate it in other communities," she said.

But for now, Sunnyvale Cares is focusing all its energy into stamping hunger out here at home.

"Even one hungry person in Sunnyvale is too many," Risch said.

Bags of food can be delivered to Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, 728 W. Fremont Ave., on July 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. Monetary donations will also be accepted, and checks should be made out to Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church with "Sunnyvale Cares Fund Account" in the memo section. Anyone who donates food can also enter a raffle to win a $100 American Express gift certificate.