9-year-olds hosting food drive this week

 

BUCHANAN, Mich.-- Two big-hearted 9-year-olds are doing all they can to help their local community by holding their 2nd annual donation drive thru.

“They collect all sorts of donations like clothes, food, baby items, toiletries to give to people who can afford it," said one of the donation drive through coordinators, 9-year-old Eloise Herrick.

Those are just a few of the things 9-year-olds Kate Holloway and Eloise Herrick have learned about Redbud Area Ministries over the past two years.

“If there weren’t any good pantries people couldn’t afford, people couldn’t get or afford food," said Herrick.

"Yes so then they can go shopping and they can get the things they need that they can’t afford at normal grocery stores," said Holloway.

For a second year in a row now the girls are hosting a "fill up the trailer" drive thru food donation and fund raiser for the pantry.

Which executive director for the pantry says could not be more needed.

“If you imagine 4,000 to 4,500 pounds that’s a lot of families and a lot of people we serve," said executive director, Jan Nowak-Walters.

That is almost 4,500 pounds of food per month.

A feat that cannot be attained without the support from volunteers and super supporters like Eloise and Kate.

“It allows us to give back a dignity experience to our friends in need. It allows us to keep pushing grocery bags of hope out the door. People don’t come over here because life is great. People seek out our assistance here at RAM because some part of their world is broken. We need to be able to continue serving that need. But I can’t do it alone," said Nowak-Walters.

Which is why the girls are hoping to break last years record of over $400 dollars raised and 1,006 food items donated.

“We hope that we get more donations than last year. We have a goal of 1,100 items," said Herrick. “We did it last year and we had a really good time and we like to do stuff for our community. Yeah I like helping people and being able to help people that can’t afford things they need. We have 400 worth of money and 1,006 donations of food."

"And we filled up my entire trailer so this time we are going to see if we can get just a little more. Even if we don’t reach our goal of 1,100 we’d still be very thankful for the community of helping us," said Holloway.

The pantry could not be more thankful for their continual support.

“When you’ve got help like this you can’t fail. It amazing! I hope all communities could experience this kind of support. Cause these little gals when they grow up if they are this amazing at this tender age, just imagine what they are going to be like later!” said Nowak-Walters.

To continue supporting the Buchanan and Galien communities the girls need your help.

The donation day is this Thursday, July 23rd from 5-8 p.m. at the Buchanan Police Department.

Feel free to bring your non-perishable food items there.

If you are looking to show support from home, you can do so through their Go Fund me page.

The money collected will be used by the girls to go shopping for items the pantry still needs after they see what was donated.