The CoServ Charitable Foundation set a great example for all of us recently when it awarded a $12,300 grant to the Denton Community Food Center to benefit Our Daily Bread.
The local soup kitchen will use the funds to provide a couple of nutritious snack-pack meals each Friday for homeless individuals, so they will have meal options for the weekend. Our Daily Bread serves hot, nutritious meals to the hungry Monday through Friday.
Summer is a time of family outings and vacations for many of us, but the grant announcement should serve as reminder that the season can be a tough time for those in need.
“Donations go down at this time of year,” said Tom Newell, chairman of the board of directors of the Denton Community Food Center. “People are focused on vacations.”
Yet, summer is also a time of increased demand for area food banks. Schools are on vacation, which means that a lot of young people from low-income families may go hungry during the day because they can’t take advantage of school lunch programs.
The folks at the Denton Community Food Center and other area charities do what they can to put food on the table, but they can’t do it alone. As Newell told us, the agencies depend on the generosity of the public.
“We do what we can, but our bottom line is, ‘We give what we’re given to give,’” he said.
We hear similar comments from other agencies at this time of year. It’s easy for most of us to get busy with our summer activities and forget that a lot of folks in Denton County are in need. Donations usually slow to a trickle during the summer months, Newell said, before picking up again in fall when school is back in session.
Cash donations are always appreciated, Newell said, because staff members can buy exactly what they need.
Whenever possible, food center staff members buy food via the Tarrant Area Food Bank, where they can get more for their money, according to the organization’s website. Cash donations can be mailed to the food center at P.O. Box 2121, Denton, TX 76202-2121.
Other items that are always welcome include peanut butter, fruit juice and boxed goods such as macaroni and cheese or other food mixes.
Canned food items are also welcome, but Newell said that there is a national trend of people moving away from canned food items, and this is creating a challenge for agencies.
“I looked at the ads from three grocery stores this week, and there was not one canned good item on special,” he said. “Boxed goods and soft goods are more difficult to deal with.”
The food center is located at 109 W. Sycamore St. You can call 940-382-0807 or visit www.dentoncfc.org for more information.
We hope you’ll remember your less-fortunate neighbors when making vacation plans and drop off a donation to help them out.
Those of us who are lucky enough to get a break this summer should keep in mind that hunger never takes a vacation.
