Pack the Pantry Food Drive Helps Stock the Burrows Center’s Shelves
With homelessness and food insecurity on the rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic, access to food is more important than ever. Those in need in metro Omaha can find help at The Salvation Army’s Burrows Center food pantry, which recently received a boost thanks to the successful Fox 42 and CW 15 Pack the Pantry Food Drive for The Salvation Army.
Nearly 2,000 items were collected at the drive day-long drive, which was held Saturday, March 27, at The Salvation Army’s Burrows Center for Help and Hope. Donations were unloaded by two dozen Salvation Army volunteers and staff via a contactless, socially distanced, drive-thru approach, which allowed drivers to remain safely in their vehicles.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Burrows Center Program Director Debbie Miles. “It’s really great stuff that we don’t usually have access to. That’s going to make a huge difference.”
On-air staff from Fox 42 promoted the event during the day from the Burrows Center via Facebook live streaming. Both Fox 42 and CW 15 also ran public service announcements on-air and online in the weeks leading up to the Pack the Pantry event.
“Food is definitely a high-need item,” added Miles. “We’re seeing an increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness right now, so they’re coming in seeking our assistance. I’m just really grateful. The community of Omaha is ‘Midwest nice’ – people rally around each other when they see a community need.”
If you missed the food drive, you can still make a monetary donation at salarmyfooddrive.org. All donations will be used to purchase food for the Burrows Center food pantry.