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NCWA pantry begins food drive this month |
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Written by Tatiana Rodriguez
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Tuesday, 11 March 2008 |
Hunger is not just a seasonal phenomenon, people are hungry all the time, according to Nolan County Welfare Associa-tion director Clifford Ashley. “In our experience here at this office, hunger is 365 day a year project,” he said.
The welfare association’s food pantry, which serves from 20-30 families in Nolan County per month, is running low on supplies.
Ashley has decided to do something for these families that are helped by the association and launch a food drive for the pantry for the month of March. “Any donations will be used and greatly appreciated,” he said.
Ashley said there are many people in Sweetwater that are hungry. “Some of those families receive food stamps, but sometimes it’s just not enough, and they run out by the end of the month. There are also many homeless people in Sweetwater that nobody is aware of,” he said.
Items needed for the pantry are rice, beans, pasta, tuna, canned chicken, tomato sauce, canned beans, peanut butter, crackers, carrots and any other non-perishable food items. “The dry goods that we give are just basics, nothing extravagant, but the people who receive these goods are very grateful for this needed food for their families.”
The Nolan County Welfare Association also gives diapers to mothers for their infants and there is also a need for those items as well as toiletry items and toilet paper.
“People in Sweetwater have need for items that we take for granted every day,” Ashley said.
The welfare association also has a clothes closet that is open to all Nolan County residents.
Items can be donated to the food pantry or clothes closet by coming by the association’s office on the third floor of the courthouse. Donations can also be picked up by calling Ashley at 235-2223. Leave a message if there is no answer.
“I will go anywhere, anytime to pick up donations for the food pantry or clothes closet,” said Ashley.
Brookshire’s is also helping with the food drive by pre-packaging items that can be bought by customers to donate to the food pantry, as they have done during the holidays.
“We are also switching our store brand from Hytop to Food Club, so there will be clearance sales on the Hytop products that we put into these donation bags, that way the savings is passed on to the sacks. You could be paying $5-$10 for a bag and be getting $15-$20 worth of groceries to donate to this cause,” said store manager John Alden. “I think Sweetwater is a wonderful town when it comes to giving and I know that this food drive will benefit the Nolan County Welfare Association’s food pantry.”
The store will also donate the remainder of their Hytop canned goods to the pantry at the end of the food drive, which will continue through the month of March.
The Nolan County Welfare Association has been in operation for over 50 years. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 11 March 2008 )
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