Soup For Seniors Food Drive Winter is a difficult time for the homebound and senior citizens. The choice between food, heat and medical needs can be hard. In fact, Arkansas ranks highest in senior hunger nationwide, with over 25% seniors - one in four - facing hunger. The Union County Hunger Relief Alliance is working to help make the decision easy by making sure seniors shelves are stocked with warming soups and other non-perishable food items. The Union County Hunger Relief Alliances Soup for Seniors collection, in collaboration with Arkansas Foodbank and United Way of Union County, is designed to help alleviate senior hunger. They are asking for canned soups (low sodium, single serving, pull top lids), canned tuna or meat, crackers and fruit cups (no/low sugar, single serving). This years goal is 10,000 cans of soup. There are many ways you can help us in our endeavors, said Alexis Alexander, director of the United Way of Union County and coordinator of the hunger relief alliance. The easiest way is to donate a can or cans of soup and bring it to one of our many collection sites. All the items collected will be distributed into the homes of our elderly neighbors by several community organizations. The drive will take place until January 14. Collection sites include: Champagnolle Landing Senior Center, the Boys & Girls Club, First Financial Bank branches, El Dorado Connections, Simmons First Bank, First United Methodist Church, Parkers Chapel First Baptist Church, Hillsboro St. Church of Christ and Interfaith Help Services in El Dorado. El Dorado Schools include: Barton, Northwest, Washington and Hugh Goodwin. Sites in Smackover include First Baptist Church and Helping Hands Ministry. Alexander said the group also needs volunteers. As part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 19, volunteers will gather at the Salvation Army to check dates and sort the soup as well as work in an assembly line format to package the donated soup and crackers for delivery to the distribution sites. If you are a part of a civic group, church group or if you want to collect or help on MLK Day as a service project with your business, we will welcome any and all donations and volunteers, she said. The more we collect, the more we can serve. The food will be distributed through several local organizations and food pantries, including Interfaith Help Services, Champagnolle Landing Senior Center, the Liberty Baptist Association, Douglas Chapel and El Dorado Connections/RSVP. For more information about the project call Alexander at 862-4903.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 20:56:22 +0000
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