Johnston Mayor's Challenge Amounts To 381 Miles Of Running

JOHNSTON, IA — The challenge by Mayor Paula Dierenfeld to run a mile for every $10 donation made to the Johnston Partnership in December will have her running about eight miles a day for the next six weeks. She plans to complete the challenge miles by President's Day, Feb. 19.

The mayor's food pantry challenge resulted in 381 donations of $10 or more, or the equivalent amount in food or personal care items, to the Johnston Partnership for a Healthy Community by the Dec. 30 deadline.

The Johnston Partnership recently reported to the city that it served 1,334 families in August alone, breaking its previous record busy month by 40 percent. In the first week of December, the pantry had provided food for 127 families, or 512 individuals.

The Johnston Partnership says 7.4 percent of Johnston residents, or about 1,500 people, live in poverty.

Photo via City of Johnston