RALEIGH — Ten businesses and other organizations have pledged to sponsor weekly food drives under a new program by Urban Ministries of Wake County that aims to ensure donations during normally lean times.

Urban Ministries, which operates the county’s second-largest food pantry for the needy, launched its 52-week food drive on Jan. 11 in hopes of finding groups willing to provide a week’s worth of food. The Womble Carlyle law firm was the first to commit to the drive.

Others include Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh and The News & Observer, which agreed to host two drives. Urban Ministries’ Outreach Coordinator Carol Schwartz said she is working with several other groups that are interested in adopting weeks.

For more information or to sponsor a week, contact Schwartz at 919- 256-2179 or cschwartz@urbanmin.org.