Posted 1:02 am Sunday, December 19, 2010
Food Drive Exoected To Feed About 900
By MELISSA CROWE
Staff Writer
The local Kiwanis chapter and Brookshire Grocery Co. teamed up Saturday to feed East Texas.
Brookshire’s 29th annual Spirit of Christmas Food Drive, which started in No-vember, is coming to a close. Kiwanis, Brookshire’s employees and other volunteers helped pack boxes Saturday that will be delivered across Smith County to people in need.
Staff Writer
The local Kiwanis chapter and Brookshire Grocery Co. teamed up Saturday to feed East Texas.
Brookshire’s 29th annual Spirit of Christmas Food Drive, which started in No-vember, is coming to a close. Kiwanis, Brookshire’s employees and other volunteers helped pack boxes Saturday that will be delivered across Smith County to people in need.
“It’s not just a meal; it gives people a little bit of a break,” said David Lockridge, Ki-wanas food drive chairman.
Lockridge said he expects the food drive to help feed 900 East Texas families this holiday season.
In a little more than an hour, the crew of volunteers packed 300 30-pound boxes before they ran out of flour sacks.
The boxes include pantry staples such as flour, sugar, peanut butter, pasta, crackers, canned vegetables, as well as a coupon for a free baking hen.
In a little more than an hour, the crew of volunteers packed 300 30-pound boxes before they ran out of flour sacks.
The boxes include pantry staples such as flour, sugar, peanut butter, pasta, crackers, canned vegetables, as well as a coupon for a free baking hen.
The food drive started around Thanksgiving this year. Brookshire stores sold coupons for $1 and $5 for several weeks, and those funds were loaded onto gift cards for service organizations such as Ki-wanas to purchase products for the food drive.
Locally, food that is leftover from Christmas deliveries will be donated to PATH, The Salvation Army and the Church of Christ soup kit-chens, Lockridge said.
Locally, food that is leftover from Christmas deliveries will be donated to PATH, The Salvation Army and the Church of Christ soup kit-chens, Lockridge said.
“It’s fun; one of the best presents you can give at Chris-tmas is yourself,” Lockridge said.
About 150 of Brookshire supermarkets in 116 cities and towns throughout Texas, Lou-isiana and Arkansas have collected food to help feed needy families.
Lockridge said it all started in Tyler.
“Brookshire’s has just made it flourish,” he said.
Dan Wells, the local Ki-wanis president, said his goal is to “feed as many people as we can.”
“We discovered a lot of these people didn’t have a way to come get a meal,” he said. “There are so many people that are shut in and have no way of getting a meal.”
He said they deliver boxes of food based on a list from Meals On Wheels and community recommendations.
Jesse Rider, a Kiwanis member, said he just wants to give back to the community.
“I’ve been blessed, and I want to be a blessing to someone else,” the retired Robert E. Lee counselor said.
Because the economy has been on the “low side,” he said, there is a greater need to help people.
“Christmas is a time of year when the less fortunate feel more down trodden, they don’t have or they can’t do,” Rider said. “They can at least have one or two good meals during this time of year.”
About 150 of Brookshire supermarkets in 116 cities and towns throughout Texas, Lou-isiana and Arkansas have collected food to help feed needy families.
Lockridge said it all started in Tyler.
“Brookshire’s has just made it flourish,” he said.
Dan Wells, the local Ki-wanis president, said his goal is to “feed as many people as we can.”
“We discovered a lot of these people didn’t have a way to come get a meal,” he said. “There are so many people that are shut in and have no way of getting a meal.”
He said they deliver boxes of food based on a list from Meals On Wheels and community recommendations.
Jesse Rider, a Kiwanis member, said he just wants to give back to the community.
“I’ve been blessed, and I want to be a blessing to someone else,” the retired Robert E. Lee counselor said.
Because the economy has been on the “low side,” he said, there is a greater need to help people.
“Christmas is a time of year when the less fortunate feel more down trodden, they don’t have or they can’t do,” Rider said. “They can at least have one or two good meals during this time of year.”
