KBTX is currently hosting its annual Summer Hunger Food Drive and is encouraging anyone who can donate to do so.
Throughout the month of June, KBTX News 3 has partnered with Brazos Valley Food Bank to collect non-perishable food items to help those living in the Brazos Valley who have limited access to food this summer. There are five locations where people can drop off their donations: Aggieland Outfitters on University Drive, Producers Cooperative, Brookshire Brothers on George Bush Drive, The Brazos Valley Food Bank and Douglass Mazda & Volkswagen.
“June and July are not a time where we spend a lot of time thinking about the food insecurity in our community, but it’s a time when it really hits our community,” KBTX’s news director Josh Gorbutt says. “It’s even harder during the summer when schools don’t cover breakfast and lunch in the same way that they do during the school year. We don’t think there is any reason a kid should have to feel hungry or mom and dad should have to worry about where that next meal is coming from.”
While people can donate any type of non-perishable food items, KBTX director of community affairs, Stacy Colvin suggests donating items such as canned corn, soup, macaroni, tuna, canned green beans, canned fruit, spaghetti, dried beans and peanut butter.
“Those are things that the food bank asked us to collect because those are some of their most needed items,” Stacy says. “And we thought it would be an easy shopping list that you could take with you to the store.”
As of June 12, the KBTX Summer Hungry Food Drive has raised $20,215 out of their goal of over $30,000 for the Brazos Valley Food Bank. However, while the money they have raised is valuable, Josh says bringing attention to such a large issue is just as important.
“I don’t know if I would look at this event and go, it's a big deal because we raised X amount of money,” Josh says. “I think it’s a big deal because we are talking about a really critical need that is uniquely challenging. The payoff of doing the summer food drive is the coverage/attention this issue gets.”
Community members can swing by Brookshire Brothers on June 14, Douglass Mazda & Volkswagen on June 21 or The Brazos Valley Food Bank on June 28, from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., to drop off a donation and have the opportunity to meet one of the anchors from KBTX.
“Donations are steady and people are excited,” Josh says. “We live in an incredibly giving community — it doesn't take the fact that you could meet Rusty for people to show up and answer the call. We’re lucky to have a viewership base and community that shows up when we need them most.”
For those who do not have the means to write a check or grab stuff out of their pantry, there are still ways to help out — all you need is a little bit of time.
“The food bank really needs volunteers to come out and help sort food or put together boxes or bags,” Stacy says. “After COVID, the number of volunteers has dropped. It’s very easy to volunteer and is only like a one and a half to two hour shift.”
The summer food drive is something that is important to the KBTX staff and both Josh and Stacy want to thank the community for rallying behind them, though they urge the community to continue to give beyond the end of their food drive.
“The need doesn’t end when we stop doing live broadcasts on Wednesdays in June,” Josh says. “That need exists all summer long, through the fall, through the winter. The food bank is doing incredible work in our community, and that work takes a lot of people and costs a lot of money. Whatever people can do to help with that goes a long way.”
Those interested in donating can visit any one of the participating locations to drop off their non-perishable food donations until the end of the month. Additionally, community members who would like to make a monetary donation to the food bank, can visit their website.
If you want to organize your own food drive to collect food for the Brazos Valley Food Bank to help combat hunger in the community, visit: bvfb.org/kbtxsummerhunger for details.
