Food Bank Depending on Drives to Help During Holidays
By: Mechell Dixon
Updated: November 5, 2012
As soon as food arrives at the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank it's quickly to the agency's member pantries and distributed to Texomans in need.
Unfortunately, food bank officials say the need continues to grow at an alarming rate.
"We're seeing a lot of what used to be considered middle class families. Their purchasing power is diminished. Prices have gone up. Unfortunately wages haven't gone up at the same level the prices have gone up," says Mark McKethan, executive director at the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank.
As for donations, officials say they continue to go down.
"We're probably down about 18.3% in donations this year and our food purchasing has had to go up to about 20% over what we've had to do in the past," says Michelle Schuster, assistant director at the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank.
And that means this agency is depending on your donations to help provide struggling Texomans with food during the upcoming holidays.
And agency officials hope you'll serve up lots of canned goods in the U Can Share Food Drive, which kicks off very soon at United Supermarket stores in Wichita Falls, as well as an annual drive by students who get into the giving spirit to to tune of several thousand pounds each year.
"The Students Against Hunger Food Drive every year is a big help for this holiday season. All the kids they get excited cause they bring in all their canned goods and donate it," adds Schuster.
Donations, food bank officials hope will stack up to provide food for a growing number of Texomans in need.
The Students Against Hunger food drive kicks off tomorrow.
However, if you don't have a student you can still contribute to the cause by donating to the U Can Share food drive, which also starts Monday at Market Street and United Supermarkets in Wichita Falls, Burkburnett and Graham.
Both drives will end November 16th.
