Food to the Rescue’s annual Spread the Love Campaign now accepting peanut butter donations for student food boxes.
Family Outreach Coordinator Robin Twitty said every food box they distribute includes a 16-ounce jar of peanut butter. Twitty said the organization collects peanut butter every September with the goal of building a year’s supply.
“We try to put in the food boxes food that is nutritious and that won’t cause hunger,” Twitty said “And since peanut butter is high in protein, it’s one of the things we try to put in the box. And it’s also shelf stable.”
Twitty said in addition to the long shelf life, a benefit of peanut butter is its versatility. Donations being accepted at businesses across Jackson, Overton, and Putnam Counties.
Twitty said kids who are allergic to peanuts may get an alternative spread in their box.
“We usually try to get sun butter for them,” Twitty said. “You have some kids who are allergic to sun butter also, and we are currently searching for something to substitute for that. But the ones that can do sun butter, we do that in place of peanut butter for them.”
Twitty said the seven-year-old campaign has produced results. Twitty said most years, the goal is met or they finish very close. Some years, Food to the Rescue has even exceeded their goal.
Twitty said Food to the Rescue began from a discovery that many local kids only eat at school. When school is out, Food to the Rescue provides food boxes to homes of hungry children. Food to the Rescue deliveries are typically a few days before school breaks. Twitty said there are usually three deliveries every summer.
“We try to provide two meals a day, a breakfast item and a lunch item as well as snacks throughout the day,” Twitty said. “And we try to throw in extra food when we can to kind of help even beyond that.”
Twitty said people who would like to collect peanut butter can donate at lots of local businesses.
For those who do not want to donate peanut butter, Twitty said financial donations can be made on PayPal or Venmo.