GEORGETOWN, Texas — For at least the fifth year in a row, The Caring Place made a big push for donations for its food pantry, collecting around 421,000 pounds of food by Dec. 31.
"I wish we could do this 12 months a year," David Earl, the director for donations and facilities at The Caring Place, said.
Earl said the The Caring Place aimed for a goal of 300,000 pounds of food to collect during its "Hunger Free Holidays" campaign, which began on Oct. 1. It blew through that goal.
The food won't last very long on the shelves of the pantry. He said the organization served 3,000 people each in August, September, October and November of 2019. Each person could take 40 pounds of food once a month in that time period.
Earl said the organization has seen the highest totals of food given out this year, going so far as to call those months "record-setting."
"That food will help meet our neighbors' basic needs in 2020," said executive director Ginna O'Connor. "It's going to help neighbors meet monthly expenses, and it's going to ease financial burdens for families in your community."
The Caring Place partners with the Central Texas Food Bank to make sure their shelves are stocked with nutritious food, both non-perishable items and fresh produce.
"With a $1 donation, I can purchase about 3.5 pounds of food," Earl said. "It allows us to have a variety in our pantry. The big thing is you want the food that the people take to be food that they're going to enjoy, that they're going to eat, that's going to make them healthier."
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According to Earl, each of the past five years, The Caring Place has bumped up its goal for food donations. In 2018, people in and around Georgetown donated more than 317,000 pounds of food.
"We're seeing increasing numbers every month," Earl said. "We love the Hunger Free Holidays program, but we would like it to be Hunger Free Year for 2020."
Earl last counted the donations at the end of November. He calculated about 161,000 pounds of food but knows the holidays bring a spike in donations among neighbors in Georgetown and the corporate sponsorships.
If you would like to donate food, non-perishable items or make a monetary donation, you can do so on The Caring Place's website or at their building on Railroad Avenue in Georgetown.
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