Brookshire's food drive targets 13,000 families
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

Brookshire's Spirit of Christmas Food Drive is underway, and more donations are needed to aid the 13,000 families set to receive foodbased assistance this year. Time is running out; the food drive will end December 22.

Alison Walker, communications specialist for Brookshire's, said every Brookshire's store has a bin set up inside at the front end of the building where canned food may be dropped off.

"We don't accept homemade food or food items in glass jars," Walker said. "Keep bulk donations like flour limited to smaller quantities."

This year's food drive started November 17. On the ending date, the bins will be packed up at noon.

A press release from Brookshire's stated all the food gathered in Chandler will be distributed to Chandler families.

"Brookshire Grocery Company will donate at least one roasting hen to each family assisted through the food drive," Walker said. "Last year the company provided more than 15,000 hens."

Tom Martin, Chandler Lions Club president, said the Lions Club helps with the food drive.

"They say Chandler is the city with a heart, and it shows this time of year," Martin said.

"There are about six helping out right now," Martin said of the Lions Club volunteers. "When we get closer to Christmas I expect to need more help."

There are 41 club members in the Chandler Lions Club.

Walker said the club will collect, sort, package and deliver food to the families before Christmas Day. The food drive, Walker also said, began with the Brookshire's in Tyler.

"They started this when they donated food to 92 Tyler families. It grew from there ever since," Walker said.

The Spirit of Christmas Food Drive is now in its 26th year. In the time since its birth, the food drive has gathered 3.3 million pounds of food and benefited over 150,000 families. This program, which started in Texas, has now spread to Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.

The Lions Club is a club mainly meant to help needy people deal with eye problems, Martin said. However, it is not limited to this function and takes part in humanitarian projects.

"We want to make sure everyone has food at Christmas time," Martin said.