11/20/2009 10:00:00 PM
Local food drives in full swing
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With Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays approaching, many people donate to food drives at work, school, the grocery store and, this weekend, to their mail carriers' food drive.
Have you ever wondered how much your donation helps?
"Holiday food drives help carry us for two and a half months, and we are thankful for that," said Bob Wilson, president of the Yavapai Food Bank in Prescott Valley.
The area's need is great, he added.
"Yesterday was the largest day we've ever had. We gave away 150 food boxes," Wilson said. "Most of those boxes feed four people for about three days."
The line of people waiting to pick up their food boxes Thursday led out of the waiting area into the parking lot, and included people between jobs, the disabled, parents with young children, and older residents on fixed incomes.
The food boxes include a variety of produce, canned goods, bread, meat, cereal, crackers, other non-perishable food items and occasionally sweets.
"If you know how to cook, you can really stretch what you receive in the weekly food box and the monthly commodity bag," said Regina, who is on a fixed income and declined to give her last name. She said the commodity bag often includes beans, nuts, shelf-stable milk, rice and other items that can last in the pantry for a month.
One gentleman said his weekly food box helps him, his son and his young granddaughter with their food budget. Another client named Mary said she appreciated the meat the most, enjoyed the chips, and hoped for more cheese.
"I didn't come last week, because I didn't need it," said Carol, another woman on a fixed income. "Another person might have needed the food more that week."
Harriet picked up a food box for an older woman for whom she cares. She also gave some homemade brownies to a food bank worker who has been so helpful to her.
"I enjoy coming here because they are so caring, positive and full of energy" Harriet said.
To qualify for help from the food bank, recipients must show a form of identification and proof of income, Wilson said.
"We help people who are at the national poverty income level plus another 20 percent," Wilson said.
Right now, the food bank is looking for donations for Thanksgiving meals, Wilson said.
"We try to give our clients boxes with what you'd have for your Thanksgiving dinner - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn and cranberry sauce," Wilson said. "We also need everything else."
Sandee Harold, who works in the front office of the Yavapai Food Bank, said their wish list for Thanksgiving also includes pickles, canned vegetables, flavored gelatin, yams, sweet potatoes, fresh or boxed potatoes, cranberries, brown sugar, margarine, canned pie fillings, white sugar, eggs, black olives, canned fruit, and fresh pies.
People can find a list of items the food bank needs year round, convenient drop off locations in Prescott and Prescott Valley, and applications to volunteer at the food bank at www.yavapaifoodbank.org.
Wilson said he's always looking for canned green beans and corn, and items like macaroni and cheese and Hamburger and Tuna Helper that help people make dinners.
This year, the Yavapai Food Bank hopes to receive 2,300 turkeys to give to those in need, Wilson said. Currently they have 69.
The Flying High Turkey Drive sponsored by the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce, Pepsi and the Wild Turkeys Federation will take place from noon to 6 p.m. this Monday at the Fry's Food Stores on Glassford Hill Road in Prescott Valley, and the Fry's Food Stores on Willow Creek Road and on Fair Street in Prescott.
On Saturday, Prescott post office employees, letter carriers, clerks and managers will collect donations of non-perishable foods people leave at their mailboxes to
distribute them to local food banks.
The Prescott postal food drive benefits the Yavapai Food Bank and the Community Cupboard. The Prescott Valley postal food drive benefits the Yavapai Food Bank, the Prescott Valley Food Bank
and St. Vincent De Paul's.
"The postal carriers are a big help for us," Wilson said.
Harold said the food bank will need people to help sort food after the postal drive.
"After the first of the year, donations tend to go away," Wilson said. "We do well during the holidays, because people don't want others to go hungry then, but people need to eat every day of the year.
"What I really want is one can of food per home in the tri-city area donated each week. That would give me 38,000 cans of food a week to give to people who need it. That's basically about 50 cents for a can of food each week."
For Christmas and the holidays, the Food Bank will be giving out toys to children, and an extra holiday food box along with the weekly food box. The Yavapai Food Bank also helps supply about 25 other food outlets and agencies in the county, Wilson said.
"People need to thank Bob and all the good people who help us here at the Yavapai Food Bank," said Kay, a client. "They don't get enough thanks for all they do for us."
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Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
WELL WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL & EXCEED IT IF WE ALL CHIP IN AND P.U.S.H. PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS!!! I KNOW ME AND MY YOUNGER SISTERS WILL HELP. IM WITH LIVING FAITH CHRISTIAN CENTER IN COYOTE SPRINGS AND WE ARE HELPING WITH THE FOOD BANK AS WELL. I KNOW LAST YEAR THERE WAS ALOT OF PEOPLE SAVED!!!LET'S HAVE MORE FAMILIES SAVED & WARM ON THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. EVERY SUNDAY 8:30 & 10:30AM & 6PM OFF COYOTE SPRINGS Rd. COME AND YE SHALL BE BLESSED. OUR COMMUNITY CAN AT LEAST DONATE 1 JACKET OR A BOX OF FOOD AND THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR HOSPITALITY. JUST STEP OUT OF YOUR SHOES AND PICTURE URSELF IN THEIRS...WOULD YOU WANT SOME ONE TO PASS BY YOU WITH FOOD THAT THEY REFUSE TO GIVE U AND SAY NO, LIKE A GRINCH.....JUST PICTURE THAT....AND THEN YOU DECIDE WHETHER YOU ARE GONNA SAY NO TO SOMEONE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON...I KNOW I'm NOT GONNA SAY NO.
Posted: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Article comment by:
John Danforth
Here's an indication of how desperate things are. We placed two large containers of canned food next to our mailbox for the Postal Service food drive, and they were stolen before the postman arrived.
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