The Daniel Pitino Shelter is hosting one more “Fill the Truck” event to collect food donations ahead of the winter season’s soup kitchen. Donations will be accepted on from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday at the Hometown IGA on Carter Road.
Executive Director Harry Pedigo said the soup kitchen had a hard time meeting the community’s needs, specifically during the winter months.
The shelter serves the 64 in-house clients breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It also serves lunch to the community and those at risk of homelessness, meaning they serve about 120 lunchtime meals.
“For some reason, there’s a bigger demand for all of our services and particularly with the soup kitchen during the winter,” Pedigo said. “We serve those that are at risk in the surrounding community. So as that need increases, we want to make sure we’re prepared for as the holidays approach.”
After two big “Fill the Truck” collection events already, Pedigo said it feels good to be able to see the support thus far.
They are collecting perishable and non-perishable goods during donation times. This is primarily because perishable goods — like beef and pork — are the hardest for the shelter to maintain.
The Shelter will continue to accept donations throughout the year, but are especially encouraging donations before the winter season gets busy.
