By Rory Dulock | Staff Writer
For the 35th-annual Food for Families drive, the Scouting America Longhorn Council, H-E-B and KWTX News 10 are partnering with food pantries across Central Texas to hold a one-day food drive that collects and stocks the shelves of local food banks and pantries.
The event will take place on Nov. 22 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., giving communities half a day to go out and donate canned foods and goods.
Ann Owen is executive director for Caritas of Waco, a food pantry that offers case management services and more. She said Caritas serves as the leading pantry in the Waco area, which means the organization is responsible for the prep work before Food for Families.
As a special addition to the event, Owen said they sent out mailers and communicated with the businesses and organizations who were planning on participating in the Chairperson’s Cup competition.
“The Chairperson’s Cup competition is where there are different categories — we have financial, insurance, industrial, religious, schools [and] things like that — and within each category, those entities that are participating in the Chairperson’s Cup competition compete for who donates the largest amount of food,” Owen said. “Then in January, we have a reception and kind of an award ceremony that’s in honor of those who donated the largest amount of food.”
Owen said the food drive has an important impact on the community because there are nine pantries who are recipients pantries in McLennan County, and each one relies on a good turnout.
“Last year our county contributed almost 494,000 pounds of food, and so our goal for this year is 550,000 pounds of food,” Owen said. “What we do with monetary donations is we convert that into pounds of food, so we calculate it at one dollar equals two pounds of food. With everyone coming together, we can distribute [food and money] amongst those nine pantries.”
Houston junior Emily Cevey said it is important for Baylor students and organizations to get involved in the food drive because it takes everyone to make a difference within a community.
“I think that it is unfortunate that we as individuals can’t single-handedly solve the problems for the underprivileged population in Waco, but that’s why it is important to contribute to the organizations that have the resources to do so. That way, change can be made eventually,” Cevey said.
Owen said anyone who is interesting in donating throughout the day can go to the donation drop-off site at KWTX studios. She said there will be a drive-thru area where there will be tents of high school students or organizations sorting the food as it comes in. There will also be someone taking monetary donations.
“It’s a long day, but it’s a really fun day and we have lots of organizations, companies and individuals who will drop off food and monetary donations,” Owens said. “It’s just a wonderful day of witnessing what a giving community we have here.”
