Many people in the Monroe community rely on the Sky Valley Food Bank for their meals. That's why the Monroe Rotary Club Students of the Month hope to make a significant impact as they partner with the food bank to coordinate a community-wide food drive during the month of March.
The food drive will take place from March 9 through March 26. Donations of cash or nonperishable food times can be dropped off at donation stations at Monroe City Hall (806 W. Main St.), the Monroe Police Department (806 W. Main St.), the Monroe Fire Department (163 Village Court) and other locations throughout the city. The food drive will culminate with a final thrust on Friday, March 27, and Saturday, March 28, as the students, members of Monroe city staff, police and fire employees gather at local grocery stores to encourage shoppers to purchase an item or two for the food drive.
All donations will benefit the Sky Valley Food Bank (233 Sky River Parkway), which serves residents who live within the Monroe School District. In 2014, the Sky Valley Food Bank distributed a total of 775,400 pounds of food to local families in need, but only received a total of 697,357 pounds of food in donations. This left a deficit of more than 78,000 pounds of food.
"There was a significant shortfall,GÇ¥ said Sky Valley Food Bank Executive Director Neil Watkins. "That's why the food drives are so darn important.GÇ¥
For the last six years, the Monroe Rotary Club Student of the Month scholarship program has culminated with a community service project, which has traditionally been a food drive. Students are given the opportunity to organize, plan, facilitate and execute the food drive on their own and, throughout the process, are assessed on their levels of participation, involvement, leadership and attendance.
The scores they achieve will be factored in with other criteria that the rotary will then evaluate, selecting several students to receive $1,000 scholarships to the school of their choice.
This year, the students hope to engage in the largest, most impactful food drive yet. To ensure this, they have been working to reach all sectors of the community. They plan to have a competition between participating elementary and middle schools to see who can raise the most food during the week of March 23 to March 27. They will also place barrels in local businesses during the month of March.
On Friday, March 27, city, police and fire employees will collect food at local grocery stores in Monroe, which will then be picked up by the students and delivered to the food bank. Then, on Saturday, March 28, the students will volunteer from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., collecting more food items outside the stores.
The Sky Valley Food Bank has provided a list of non-perishable food items that are most coveted: top ramen, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, soup, cereal, rice and beans. However, other nonperishable food items are appreciated.
As vital as food items are, money is also useful. Watkins explained that cash donations are extremely effective because the food bank is able to stretch those dollars further than the typical shopper.
"We can buy more food for a dollar than the average consumer can, because we have wholesalers, and we have places we can go and get it less expensive,GÇ¥ Watkins said.
All items donated will help someone in need.
"I am excited to see how much food we can bring in as a community,GÇ¥ student Torri Pownall said.
Jake Walker, another Rotary Student of the Month, said, "The goal of the food drive is to utilize the leadership potential of the Rotary Students of the Month to collect as much food as possible for the Sky Valley Food Bank.GÇ¥
Food distribution at the food bank occurs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and from 6 to 7 p.m. on Monday evening.
For more information on the Sky Valley Food Bank, visit www.svfoodbank.org/ or www.facebook.com/pages/Sky-Valley-Food-Bank/114965945186098.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment