Food drive in Mexia this Friday
By Roxanne Thompson
Residents of Mexia will have the opportunity to donate food to those who may be running short this holiday season at the annual Food For Families food drive this Friday, Nov. 22.
The Caritas of Mexia food pantry, 111 N. Paris in Mexia, will be open for donations from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day, and those who are able to contribute are asked to drop off non-perishable food to restock the pantry.
Those who live south of the Navasota River will have their own drop-off point in Groesbeck at the Fishes & Loaves Pantry, 312 W. Navasota in Groesbeck.
Nine counties will participate in the one-day drive, making it the largest one-day food drive in Texas.
All donations made in Limestone County will stay in Limestone County.
Suggested items to donate include:
• Canned meats, chili, tuna, soup, canned pasta.
• Canned vegetables, spaghetti sauce and fruit;
• Boxed or bagged cereal, oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Malt-o-Meal;
• Dry rice, dried beans, canned beans.
• Peanut butter, jelly.
• Boxes of dry muffin, cornbread mix, pasta.
Well-wishers may also help by volunteering to sort the donations and put them away.
All Mexia donations will go to Caritas of Mexia.
The Food for Families drive is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, H-E-B Grocery Store and KWTX News 10, of Waco. Volunteers from those organizations will help in the food drive. KWTX personnel will also broadcast from televised sites.
Caritas board president Andrew Taulton is requesting that people participate so Caritas can help its clients.
“Last year we had a marvelous food drive because we had a lot of people who came back to us,” he said. “We had church groups come in and volunteer for several hours that hadn’t done that before. We don’t ever know how many volunteers we’re going to have. I just depend on the good Lord.”
The food collected during the Food for Families food drive, though significant, usually provides enough food to last only for a few months at Caritas.
