Friday is KTVN's 'Share your Christmas' Food Drive at Governor's Mansion, Carson Valley Inn, Grand Sierra Resort

KTVN will host its annual Share Your Christmas Drive-By Food Drive this Friday, Dec. 11 with food drop-off locations in Carson City, Minden and Reno beginning at 6 a.m. and running until 6 p.m.

The three donation drop off locations this year are the Governor's Mansion in Carson City, Carson Valley Inn in Minden and the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno.

Donations will go to the following agencies:

— Advocates to End Domestic Violence (Carson City)
— Friends in Service Helping (Carson City)
— Ron Wood Family Resource Center (Carson City)
— Carson Valley Community Food Closet (Carson Valley)
— The Food Bank of Northern Nevada (Reno)

Extra precautions will be in place because of the pandemic. Organizers are asking donors to stay in their cars when they drop off donations. Donors should have food ready to grab and go from the back of their car, and should not plan on getting out of their cars this year.

Although all non-perishable items are accepted, some suggestions include:

Canned Meats
Canned Fish
Peanut Butter
Macaroni & Cheese and Pasta Meals
Powdered Milk
Baby Formula, Baby Food
Complete Meals-Stews, Chili, Ravioli, Hearty Soups, etc.
Canned Fruits, Juice and Vegetables
Dry Cereal
Oatmeal
Rice
Pasta

You can also text the word "SHARE" and then a dollar amount to 50155 to donate directly to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.

Advocates to End Domestic Violence
On Friday morning Advocates to End Domestic Violence staff will be at the Governor's Mansion in Carson City accepting donations of non-perishable food items. Advocates notes that it has not been able to host a food drive in more than a year and its pantry shelves are sparse.

When victims flee their abusive homes and come into shelter, they often leave everything behind, coming with only the clothes on their and their children's backs. It is critical that Advocates have a supply of necessities, including toiletries, pajamas, undergarments, etc., and most importantly, food.

Victims immediately begin working with our case manager to get established with social services, such as TANF and food stamps, as well as developing a resume and applying for jobs, but these things take time.

Having a pantry full of of food can be the difference between these survivors struggling to put food on their tables and being able to feed their families nutritious meals each day.

Friends in Service Helping, FISH
The Carson City-based nonprofit is again a recipient of the annual Share Your Christmas event.

"We're all about giving a hand up to people," said Gillian Murdock with FISH in an interview with KTVN. "So we're focused on getting people help, whether it's groceries from the food bank, a hot meal at the dining hall, shelter at our shelter, or medical aid at our clinic. We're just trying to get people back on the path to independence."

FISH saw a big increase in need at the food pantry when the pandemic started, and that need has continued during the holiday season. There are holiday baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Share Your Christmas Food Drive helps keep these shelves stocked.

"It helps so much, Murdock said. "Last year at the Share Your Christmas Drive we collected, just in four hours, about 9,300 pounds. So it really will help us out through Christmas as well as beyond." For more information on Fish see the website here.

Ron Wood Family Resource Center in Carson City
Helping families in need for decades, the Ron Wood Family Resource Center in Carson City will be a food drive recipient.

"We have 20 different programs and food insecurity and taking care of the local community is one of the most important programs we have," said Executive Director Joyce Buckingham in an interview with KTVN. "We're busy. We're making daily deliveries, we're going to distribution sites, to motels, mobile home parks, RV parks. We're taking food to those that don't have transportation, those that are sheltering in place. All they have to do is give us a call and we'll deliver."

The Ron Wood Family Resource Center serves tens of thousands of people every year, and they don't turn anyone away.

Carson Valley Community Food Closet
Join Carson Valley Inn for the annual Share Your Christmas Drive-By Food Drive this Friday to help support those most in need during these difficult times. The recipient of the food drive will be the Carson Valley Community Food Closet and will be held at Carson Valley Inn, 1627 U.S. Highway 395. Drop off non-perishable or monetary donations any time between 6 a.m. to 6 pm. No need to get out of your vehicle, volunteers will unload for you.

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada
KTVN and Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno will again team up for the annual food drive with Reno area donations going to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, which provides emergency food services to families through a network of more than 140 partner agencies in a 90,000 square mile service area throughout northern Nevada and the eastern slope of the sierra in California.
The Food Bank of Northern Nevada serves more than 95,000 people each month, half of whom are children and seniors. Donations will be accepted between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. at Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E Second Street, Reno.