Picayune and KBEY Food Drive Nov. 10
The Picayune Magazine and KBEY 103.9 FM Food Drive is Nov. 10 at two locations: the Marble Falls Fire Rescue station (pictured) and the Burnet Fire Station. File photo
Feeding the hungry is more than an act of kindness in the Highland Lakes — it is one of the many ways the community shows it cares for all. The Picayune Magazine and KBEY 103.9 FM Radio Picayune share in that commitment by holding an annual food drive the second Wednesday in November each year.
This year, The Picayune and KBEY Food Drive is 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 10 at two locations: the Marble Falls Fire Station, 700 Avenue N, and the Burnet Fire Station, 2002 S. Water St. (U.S. 281 South).
Food donated at the Marble Falls location goes to The Helping Center, which is the main food pantry in south Burnet County. Food donated at the Burnet site will go to Lakes Area Care Inc., or LACare, the north Burnet County food pantry. Donors can bring non-perishable food or cash or checks to either location.
Volunteers and employees of Victory Media Marketing, which owns The Picayune, KBEY, 101 Fun Things to do in the Highland Lakes magazine, and DailyTrib.com, will be on hand to unload vehicles. You don’t even have to get out of your car!
KBEY 103.9 FM hosts Ben Shields and Mac McClennahan and special guest host Damon Beierle will broadcast from each location throughout the event, talking to area leaders about the importance of keeping local food pantries stocked, especially during the holidays.
“We always enjoy having our annual food drive and seeing friends and neighbors opening up their hearts and wallets,” Shields said. “This event is especially important because we see what it means to people; it’s important to those who donate because they want to look out for their neighbors and to those who go to LACare and The Helping Center seeking assistance.”
The date for the food drive is purposely chosen in early November because, according to the executive directors at both pantries, the community need for food increases just before Thanksgiving. Children have one week off from school for Thanksgiving and two weeks off for Christmas and New Year’s, meaning they will not have access to free breakfasts and lunches on campus those three weeks.
The pantries also try to stock traditional holiday foods for families who might not be able to afford all of the fixings for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.
“The Picayune and KBEY’s annual food drive is an exciting day,” Publisher Mandi Goldsmith said. “We join with the community to help LACare and The Helping Center fill their food pantries to meet the needs of local individuals and families for the upcoming holidays. However, the real hope is that the food drive creates long-term awareness and action to provide food to our friends and neighbors all year long.”
Defeating hunger is a daily battle, and it doesn’t stop because calendars show the holidays are here. In fact, the holidays compel those on the front lines of the battle against hunger to keep working to make sure no one in the Highland Lakes worries about where to find their next meal.
Donations may be made year-round at The Helping Center, 1016 Broadway in Marble Falls, and LACare, 507 Buchanan Drive in Burnet.