KBTX Food for Families raises over 156K pounds of food

Each year the holiday season takes over the lives of many families as they scramble to find the perfect Christmas gifts, attend family functions, watch their favorite Christmas movies and blare their favorite Christmas tunes.

While some families look forward to the holiday season each year, others only look toward where their next meal is coming from. KBTX partners each year with various communities within the Brazos Valley for the annual KBTX Food for Families Food Drive to ensure that food is plentiful for those in need.

Food raised in each community stays within that community to serve those in need locally. Mid-South Synergy has been a huge supporter and hosts the food drive for Grimes County each year in Navasota.

“Seeing the community work together to help others in the community is what it’s all about,” explained Erin Hughes Communications Specialist at Mid-South Synergy. “Trying to provide relief for local families is what drives us each year. We enjoy participating in the KBTX Food for Families Food Drive every year to help encourage and support the local food pantries at their busiest time of year. If we can help one family not stress about where their next meal is coming from, then we have done our part.”

Many organizations help make the event a success each year whether it be volunteers that help sort food, organizations that organize fundraisers or businesses that provide monetary donations.

and Citizen’s State Bank matched those funds.

KBTX Food for Families raised 156,554 pounds of food and $160,707.00 collectively at all its donation sites. Grimes County raised 11,691 pounds of food and $9,122.00 in monetary donations.

Anyone still wishing to donate may do so by texting KBTX to 313131.

Spending time with our volunteers is always memorable and a few really stood out to me this year,” stated Hughes. “We had two individuals that decided to spend their entire day with us and expected nothing in return. I would like to thank Jimmy and Maria for their hard work and dedication to the success of the food drive this year.”

One local teacher brings her students to volunteer each year. “Giving back and serving others is a huge priority of the FFA,” said Navasota FFA teacher Sharon Finke. “I feel it is important for our students to learn how to be active and serve their communities and to help others whenever they have the opportunity to do so.”

A new wrinkle to the food dri ve this year was a fund matching hour from 11:30 a.m. till 12:30 p.m. Over $800 was raised