Article Contributed on: 12/23/2008 2:03:07 PM
During these difficult times, more people are going hungry. In an effort to help, the Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners recently approved $1,000 in Aid to Agency funds to help supplement food boxes to the Santa Claus Shop.
For five years, Arapahoe County has donated food boxes to help supplement the toys that needy families receive through the Santa Claus Shop, which is housed in Arapahoe County's multi-purpose building. The partnership helps alleviate many of the concerns low-income families deal with during the holidays and helps make the season brighter one family at a time.
"Through The Emergency Food Assistance Program in Arapahoe County we are seeing more and more families needing food," said Arapahoe County Commissioner Pat Noonan. "Across the metro area food banks continue to struggle to meet the increasing need, and so we were very happy to be able to help 750 families receive a box of food that will provide several nutritious meals."
The $1,000 was used to purchase non perishable items that would help fill the nutritional gaps of USDA commodities, including 480 boxes of rice mix, 528 cans of tomato sauce, 480 cans of cream of mushroom soup and 522 cans of chili beans.
"I don't know what we'd do without the County's generosity," said Lora Drose, Santa Claus Shop Director. "Arapahoe County provides everything we need to continue to operate our program, including boxes of food for families."
The Santa Claus Shop is a community project that involves many. While Centennial Container donated the boxes, Arapahoe County employees along with Field Elementary School students and teachers collected and donated additional food, and a private cash donation from a county citizen was made. Other volunteers helped fill the 750 boxes of food.
For more information about the Santa Claus Shop, visit www.arapahoesantashop.org.