By Alex Bridges — Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — How much food can one of those PODS storage containers hold? That depends on the community's desire to help fight hunger.

Pastor Charles Headley, leader of Our Saviors Church/Native American Ministries: Warriors for Christ, said he hopes people can bring bags of nonperishable food items and help fill one of these large containers, known as Portable On Demand Storage.

The "Stuff A Pod: Hunger Knows No Storage" campaign kicked off in September with one of the PODS placed at the Evergreen Health and Rehabilitation Center on Millwood Avenue. The container is now located in the parking lot of Coldwell Banker Premier Properties and Quality Cleaners on Pleasant Valley Road across from Ruby Tuesday's. Those wishing to donate food to the effort can do so from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The PODS container is 16 feet long, 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. PODS of Winchester franchise owner Steve Dubrueler has donated the container to Headley's drive.

"He himself has helped out families in the area in the past, too, so he's very aware of what Pastor Headley's doing ... he's very enthusiastic to go along with what Pastor Headley's doing in the community," said Robin White, who works with Dubrueler.

The pastor said he started the drive early to head off the colder months and harder times for homeless and less fortunate families.

Today, organizers plan to hold activities from noon to 5 p.m. and giveaways at the current location in an effort to attract donations of food for the drive.

Professional boxing champion Perry "The Punisher" Ballard will make an appearance and sign autographs, Headley said. The TigerDen tae kwon do team will perform demonstrations.

Members of the South End Fire and Rescue Company will bring vehicles to the event and Wilkins Motorsports will show some custom motorcycles. Food will be provided by Big Daddy Barbecue. The event also will feature activities for children, he said.

Various area businesses donated items as prizes that event-goers have a chance to win.

"There's a lot of incentives to this thing," Headley said.

But, the drive doesn't end today. The Stuff a Pod effort continues at the Quality Cleaners parking lot through Nov. 5, with the exception of Oct. 24-26, when it will sit in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Pleasant Valley Road.

"We are going to be there [at Wal-Mart] with the PODS and hopefully we can catch those that are shopping," Headley said, noting that people don't have to buy new items to help.

"Just look in your cabinets, you know, turn the lazy Susan, you know there's something in there you're not using, bring it out here ... it can be utilized at the food bank," the pastor said.

The PODS container will be set up at Jim Stutzman Chevrolet on Valley Avenue from Nov. 6 to 26; Anthony's Pizza on Valley Avenue Nov. 28 through Dec.6; and return to Quality Cleaners Dec. 8-Jan. 8.

The idea came to the pastor recently.

"I had two of them setting outside my house, and I just came up with the idea," Headley recalled. "I'd done 'Stuff a Humvee' with the Virginia Army National Guard and then I did 'Knock Out Hunger' with the Salvation Army, and these are things I started hoping that people would carry forth these ideas."

Headley said Dubrueler supported the effort.

"He's challenging other businesses in the community to get involved ... because there are those that are fortunate and those that are not fortunate," Headley said.

Headley said he's seen firsthand the effects of poverty and hunger in the community.

"I've witnessed children drink water out of the Town Run, take baths in the Town Run and stuff like that," Headley said. "It's very real in the city of Winchester."

The pastor estimated that there are hundreds of homeless families in Winchester.

Headley said he once ran a small food pantry and realizes that the "shelves are bare" at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which is why he chose the agency.

"We think it's wonderful and tremendous what they're doing because we really need it right now, so it couldn't come at a better time," said Ruth Jones, a spokeswoman for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network. "We've had a food shortage throughout the summer so this comes at the right time, especially with the holiday season approaching and the cold months and we tend to see the demand really go up even higher during that period of time so food will definitely be a great help."

Jones agreed with Headley that people may have items in their pantries they may not use that could be given to those who can.

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network services 25 counties and nine cities in Virginia and has four branches across 12,000 square miles. They are the Shenandoah Valley Area Branch in Verona; the Thomas Jefferson Area Branch in Charlottesville, the Lord Fairfax Area Branch in Winchester and the Lynchburg Area Branch.

The Winchester branch sends out more than 100,000 pounds of food in a month, Jones said.

"Whatever people can do to help is much appreciated," she said.

*Contact Alex Bridges at abridges@nvdaily.com