Salina opens its heart and helps to feed its hungry. Organizers deem the 2013 Project Salina effort a success.

Project Salina, an annual effort to collect food to feed the hungry, is held each year in the Month of May. The project unites multiple businesses and organizations in an effort to collect food for five agencies that serve meals, or distribute food, throughout the year.

This year the goal was to collect 172,015 food items for five agencies that feed Salina’s hungry.

Organizers say that all of the food needed in the most critical categories was received. There was a 100 percent success rate in 24 out of 32 categories. Additionally, there is a 75 percent or greater success rate in 27 of 32 categories.

There was also over $100,000 in cash donated, with more still trickling in.

Project Salina began back in 1990. It started as an effort to help agencies that provide food when their need is the greatest, in the summer months. The agencies typically see a lot of donations during the holidays, but by the summer months their shelves are getting bare.

The agencies include Ashby House, the Salina Rescue Mission, The Emergency Aid Food Bank, the Salvation Army, and the Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas. Project Salina provides about 40% of their annual food needs.