PRESS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                            April 4, 2016

CONTACT: Robert Gager (230-7393) or Buddy Edwards (753-4593/722-7698)

“SPRING ONTO SUMMER FOOD DRIVE TO HELP PANTRIES FEED KIDS”

In order to help deal with the serious problem of child hunger in McLennan County which worsens in the summer when many children are home from school and cannot receive free, nutritional meals provided in schools, a special spring food drive is being conducted. The sixth annual “Spring Onto Summer Food Drive,” which will take place on Saturday, April 9, 2016, is designed to help local food pantries better meet the increased demand for supplemental food that is expected during the summer—a time when there is also a decrease in food and monetary donations to these organizations.

Pantries to receive food donated through this drive are: Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantries in Waco and Robinson, Salvation Army, Lake Shore Baptist Church, and Caritas of Waco.

When school is out, families in need have more mouths to feed at home, so the demand for food is greater at local pantries. The community is being asked to help restock the shelves of these local pantries and assist them in caring for people in need.

Individuals are encouraged to make donations of food on April 9^th between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at one of the following locations:

• Wal-Mart, 1521 N IH-35, Bellmead
• Wal-Mart, 600 S. Hewitt Dr., Hewitt
• Wal-Mart, 4320 Franklin, Waco
• Sam’s Club, 2301 E. Waco Drive, Bellmead
• Donations may be made on April 8^th (not the 9^th) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Brookshire’s Food Store, 100 Peplow St., Robinson

Volunteers will be handing out lists of needed food items and encouraging shoppers to purchase such items while in the store and to place this food in specially-marked containers before leaving.   Among needed food items are canned meats, canned vegetables, cereals, baby food, peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, dry beans, rice, corn meal and pasta/sauces. Monetary donations will also be accepted.

Walmart and Sam’s Club, KXXV-TV–Channel 25, and Grande Communications are serving as corporate sponsors for the drive.

For more information about how to donate to the food drive, please contact Bob Gager at 254-230-7393 or shepherds.heart@yahoo.com or Buddy Edwards at 254-722-7698 or caritas@grandecom.net.

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