Bluffs student council contributes to Outreach Center Christmas Food Giveaway
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By DAVID CAMPHOUSE
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Members of the Bluffs Student Council coordinated a food drive at the school recently. The food drive collected over 1,100 non-perishable food items. All food items collected during the food drive were donated to the Winchester Outreach Community Center and will be distributed during the Outreach Center’s Christmas Food Giveaway on Saturday, Dec. 23, starting at 10 a.m. L to R: Emma Sandman, Autumn Heckrodt, Kalli Mullen, Gracie Clark, Natalie Shaw, Zayah Kingery, Olivia Clark, Elaine Sprague.
The Bluffs Student Council recently coordinated an all school food drive.
The food drive collected more that 1,100 non-perishable food items. The food items collected during the food drive were donated to the Winchester Outreach Community Center.
In turn, the Outreach Community Center will distribute the items as a part of the Center’s Christmas Food Giveaway, which takes place Saturday, Dec. 23, starting at 10 a.m.
According to Marsha Mayner of the Outreach Community Center, demand for the food giveaways has grown over time, and demand is especially high during the holidays.
“Families seem to be struggling more this year than they have been even in the last few years,” Mayner said.
Mayner attributes some of the increased need experienced by Scott County families to increased inflation on household items.
“Things just aren’t talked about that much,” Mayner said. “Food prices keep going up, and they never really go back down. Gas prices keep going up, too.”
“Some families have been able to get accustomed to the increased prices, but many families are really struggling.”
Mayner went on to say that economic stress may be discouraging residents from donating to non-profits and community organizations, which makes the donations from the Bluffs Student Council all the more impactful.
“Some organizations have alluded that donations have been down this year,” Mayner said. “The student council’s all school food drive will be a huge help during our Christmas Food Giveaway.”
Mayner said that she was happy to partner with the Bluffs Student Council, because the Outreach Community Center frequently serves Bluffs residents.
“The Bluffs-Naples Food Pantry closed a couple years ago, so when the students decided to do the food drive, they went to us,” Mayner said. “We service the families from the Bluffs area.”
According to Mayner, the Outreach Center’s Food Giveaways serve dozens of Scott County families each month.
“In November, we distributed food to over 100 families,” Mayner said.
Ahead of the holidays, Mayner said that the Outreach Center was also fortunate to recently receive donations of products from Reynolds Consumer Products, which will also be distributed during the Outreach Center’s Christmas Food Giveaway.
“They brought things like foil, wrap, garbage bags, parchment paper, cups, and basically everything Reynolds makes,” Mayner said. “That will be a big plus to give out, so that people can bring their leftovers home from their families’ Christmas dinners.”
The outreach Community Center’s Christmas Food Giveaway will take place Saturday, Dec. 23, starting at 10 a.m.
Outside of the holiday season, the Outreach Community Center conducts is monthly food giveaways on the last Saturday of each month, starting at 10 a.m.
For more information on the Outreach Center, call (217) 883-0359, email [email protected], visit the organization’s website at http://www.outreachcommunitycenter.org/, or visit the organization’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/outreachcommcenter.
