Food banks usually stay busy regardless of the season, but during the holidays they can be overwhelmed with customers in need. Care and Share Food Bank in Colorado Springs, Tri-Lakes Cares in Monument and Helping Hands Food Pantry in Falcon are gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas.Shannon Coker of Care and Share said they are in need of volunteers and all food items, especially related to the holidays, but turkeys are a priority.From Nov. 18 to Nov. 26, Care and Share is teaming up with Panera Bread in sponsoring a ìGobble for all Turkey Drive.î On Nov. 22, in coordination with KLite 106.3 FM, Care and Share is promoting a ìTake a Turkey to Work Day.î KLite listeners can drop off a turkey on their way to or from work, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., at three Wal-Mart locations in the Springs: 8th Street, Palmer Park and Powers; and Chapel Hills. Visit http://careandshare.org for more information.During the first week of November, Tri Lakes Cares is asking for volunteers to help sort food and stack it on shelves. They are in need of canned items like canned fruit and canned gravy for the food baskets.Also, Tri Lakes Cares sponsors the Giving Treeî ornament program. Various businesses set up Christmas trees in their stores, and patrons choose a paper ornament with a gift item idea ñ provided by the parent of the child in need ñ printed on it. Carrie Pendergast from Tri Lakes Cares said that involving the parents of the children makes the gift unique to the child. ìThe main locations that people can pick up an ornament for the Giving Tree is King Scoopers, The YMCA, St. Peterís Church, Monument Library, First National Bank, Covered Treasures Bookstore and Home Depot,î Pendergast said. More information can be found at http://tri-lakescares.org.Rose Mizer from Helping Hands Food Pantry said they need the following items by Nov. 17 for the Thanksgiving holiday: $10 gift cards for a turkey, chicken broth, canned peaches, instant mashed potatoes, dinner roll mixes, cranberry relish, canned and powdered milk, pie crust mix, whipped topping mix and pudding. Mizer said they are also in need of volunteers to work at least a two-hour shift during the days the pantry is open ñ Thursdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also need volunteers, with trucks, willing to pick up donations; and volunteers to help pack the Thanksgiving boxes. Rose Mizer can be reached at http://highplainshelpinghands.com.
