Food Giveaway Dec. 2021
The December Food Giveaway is one of my favorite days of the year. From everyone that helps make it possible, to the families we serve, it's truly a special day.
Due to changes with Covid we weren't able to get the food from our resource. So, in November we held a fundraiser on Facebook and friends came through in a HUGE way; donating over $800 so we could purchase food for the families we serve. Two teachers helped PIE club lead a Food Drive at Clemens and First United Bank in Schertz and Garden Ridge held Food Drives, giving over 800 non-perishables to PIE Club for the Giveaway.
Two volunteers picked up the food from the banks, filling the back of two small SUVs. Then we headed to HEB to purchase meat and produce with the money that had been donated. HEB was ready for us and helped us check out, then load the back of another SUV.
As the teens finished their last final and got out of school, they headed over to the room we had unloaded all the food. They had a short lunch, then quickly got to work. For three of the PIE Club officers, this is their 7th Food Giveaway. They ran through how to sort, check for expiration dates, determined how much of each product would go in the packages and organized an assembly line. Within an hour they had all the packages ready, then loaded and transported to the front of the school for the drive-thru line.
Thanks to the generosity of others, we were able to provide each family with:
2 pounds of ground beef
Pack of 24 cheese sticks
4 mandarin oranges
Bunch of bananas
Zucchini
Large box of mac 'n' cheese with cheese pouch (many of the families don't have extra milk or butter to use with the powdered cheese)
1 large can of tuna
4 cans of veggies
1 can of fruit
And more
As we moved to the drive-thru, Santa arrived. We all love having him there. If kids are in the cars they enjoy waving and saying Hi to Santa. This year he made the day for one teen with special needs. The mom pulled up, the teen volunteers placed a bag of food in her car, then her son got out to give Santa a hug and have his picture taken with him; beaming from ear to ear. As he got back in the car, he looked back at Santa and placed his finger on the side of his nose with a knowing look. :)
The teens that volunteer never cease to amaze me. It's the last day of school and they joyfully volunteer their time to help others. Each one is eager to work, warmly greet the families, pick up a bag and load into the car, then wave and wish Merry Christmas.
I'm so grateful for all the volunteers that go out of their way to make the day special for others. From our donors to volunteers Thank You for making this possible.
