Warsaw Food Drive
With just three remaining weekends before Christmas, this Saturday is a big shopping day in the Warsaw community. Longtime Warsaw business, JB's Furniture, is taking advantage of the additional foot traffic to help out the local Salvation Army's feeding programs.
On Saturday, December 4, JB's Furniture will be collecting shelf-stable food for The Salvation Army's busy food pantry. While the collection box may not be a new sight for Warsaw residents, Saturday's goal is to collect at least $2,500 worth of food to give The Salvation Army's pantry a much-needed infusion of items before the Christmas holidays. If the collection falls short, owner and founder Jon Blackwood has pledged to purchase additional food to meet that $2,500 minimum.
"Jon has been on the front lines since COVID started, ensuring there is food in our pantry," said Envoy Ken Locke of The Salvation Army Warsaw Corps. "This is such a creative way of continuing to help us through the holidays."
Blackwood and his team first began collecting food at the store during the early days of the pandemic, when many families found themselves facing empty cupboards and food insecurity for the first time. The regular delivery of food helped to keep The Salvation Army's pantry stocked during the worst months. Need is again on the rise, and with children coming home for winter break, the need for food in the community is expected to spike around the holidays.
Shoppers at the adjacent Kroger are still encouraged to put a little change in the Red Kettle they'll find out front, but Blackwood is also hoping they will purchase an extra item or two for the collection next door. In-kind gifts like food and household supplies help to offset the cost of running The Salvation Army's food pantry and free up cash donations to help out residents in need of emergency financial assistance. Every donation matters and can be put to good use by Envoy Locke and his team.