Food pantry launches annual stuffing drive

Photo: Rotary Club of Paris United members Allie Hendricks, Julie Anderson and Melanie
Palmer delivers stuffing to Downtown Food Pantry in an event in years past.

Despite the increase in costs of boxes of easy-to-make stuffing due to inflation, Downtown Food Pantry is hoping the community will help them gather 5,000 boxes to make this year’s Thanksgiving meal special for those in need.

“In the past, the very giving people of Lamar County have come through to make sure all the families we serve have stuffing at Thanksgiving. But this year, a box costs about $1 for generic and between $2-$3 for name brand,” said executive director Allan Hubbard. “We give two boxes to each family.”

The pantry helps on average 850 families per week in Lamar County, about 24% of the local population each year. Donated stuffing boxes will be distributed through their normal grocery store process in November close to Thanksgiving.

“While it may stretch you a little thinner this year, we ask you to please help the families we serve be thankful that you went above and beyond,” Hubbard said.

Paris ISD will again conduct its friendly campus vs. campus contest, complete with traveling trophy for the winning school.

“Paris ISD delivers more than 3,000 boxes every year in their stuff-the-bus effort. Jennifer Ray and Jerrica Liggins are big pantry cheerleaders, and we appreciate how much fun they make it,” Hubbard said.

Other school districts, Sunday school classes, civic clubs and businesses are encouraged to challenge one another in good-natured rivalry of who can donate the most boxes. Stuffing can be delivered Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon now through the deadline of November 15. Donors are asked not to leave boxes of product outside unattended. Brand name or generic are accepted. Downtown Food Pantry is one block northwest of the Lamar County Courthouse at 124 W. Cherry St.

Contact Hubbard: allan@downtownfoodpantry.org.