NORWICH – In an effort to address hunger statewide, the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church is sponsoring Hands4NY, a community-based food collection and distribution program focused on feeding one million people between June 2011 and June 2012.

According to the organization, approximately 15 percent – or 800,000 people – of those who call New York state home do not have the means to put enough food on their table.

From 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, the Broad Street United Methodist Church will set up food collection sites across the city, accepting donations of non-perishable food items. All donations will subsequently be delivered to food pantries at Catholic Charities’ Roots and Wings and the Emmanuel Episcopal Church and its Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, according to Broad Street United Methodist Church Associate Pastor Nancy Hale.

“Our church volunteers will be present at the sites and will be wearing our special ‘The Church Has Left the Building’ T-shirts, so people will be able to identify us,” added Hale.