Extension participates in food drive

WTVA, WLOV, and WKDH TV present the "Food For Families Food Drive."

North Mississippians are encouraged to drop off non-perishable canned goods at any of the 17 Mississippi State University Extension offices and the Tupelo Automobile Museum. The drive runs October 28 to December 16.

Some examples of non-perishable canned goods include canned vegetables, canned fish and meat and also paper products.

The MSU Extension Service offices in Alcorn, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union and Webster Counties are all drop off points for food. The Tupelo Automobile Museum is an additional drop off point.

"We really wanted to do a Christmastime drive that helped as many people as possible," said WTVA's Kay Bain, spokesperson for the project. "With the economy down, we wanted to make sure we helped as many people as we can who don't have money for food."

The Mid South Food Bank in Memphis and the Mississippi Food Network in Jackson, who work with hundreds of food pantries in North Mississippi, will work with food pantries in each of the 17 counties to distribute the donated food.

Food donated in each county will be distributed to food in that county. Food donated in Choctaw County will be donated to the Broken Wings Food Pantry.

"If you donate food in a particular county, it stays right there and helps a family in that county," Bain said. "That is one of the great things about this food drive is the food will stay right here in North Mississippi in the community where you donate food."

The Choctaw County Extension Office encourages everyone to participate in the food drive. For more information call the Extension office at 285-6337.