Grayson County’s USDA agencies have collected and delivered the results of this year’s Food Alliance “Harvest of the Heart” food drive.
Alliance Director Debbie Childress said the annual food drive received approximately 2,940 pounds of non-perishable food items, as well as $165 in monetary donations.
Childress said the collected food will support more than 2,000 meals in the coming months and the money will provide almost two children this school year with food for the weekends in the back pack program.
The Alliance Food Pantry is currently helping over 727 Grayson County families per month in their food and nutrition needs, and about 275 children benefit from the back pack program.
“Many children rely on school breakfast and lunch as their nutrition throughout the week,” Childress said. “These are children don’t know what they will do for food over the weekend. This program provides food for the children in kid friendly packages and easily prepared items. Recipients are screened for need and the Food Pantry does a great job of identifying and addressing individual needs.”
The partnership effort this year included the USDA agencies Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Rural Development (RD) and Grayson County Conservation District, Childress noted.
“Working with these agencies were 19 community churches and organizations all across Grayson County,” Childress said. “And a special thank you also goes out to Core-Mark International for supplying the food collection bins used in the food drive.”
The annual “Harvest of the Heart” food drive is one of the significant annual efforts to replenish the shelves at the food pantry, according to Childress. This effort allows Grayson County Food Alliance to continue their mission of feeding those in need in Grayson County.
Childress added that the need for food supplies is year-round, and the Alliance welcome donations of food or cash anytime during the year to help address the needs in the county.
(Photo: l to r — Brent Miller (NRCS), Bradley Clemons (FSA), Sandra Childress (FSA), Kay Barton (FSA), Barbara Meredith (FSA). Not pictured is Darlene Hager (RD))
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
