For two decades, The Daily Leader and Bank of Brookhaven have collected monetary donations to distribute to local food pantries.

The news company and bank have partnered again this year to organize the Holiday Food Pantry Drive for the 21st time.

Tens of thousands of dollars have been raised through the drive, and distributed to various food pantry organizations in the area. The 2024 pantries are St. Francis of Assisi/St. Vincent de Paul, The Greater Hope Foundation, Bethel AME and Mt. Zion Food Pantry.

Donations are now accepted at both The Daily Leader office, 112 E Monticello St., and at the bank, either with bank tellers or through drive-through windows. Checks can be made to Holiday Food Pantry. Donations can also be mailed to Holiday Food Pantry, The Daily Leader, P. O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602.

Donations will be published in the newspaper as they are received. Donors for the drive have the option of giving in memory or honor of someone, anonymously, as a business or as an individual. The contributors’ names — unless requesting anonymity — and gift amount are publicized in The Daily Leader as they are submitted. A grand total of donations will also be printed in each issue.

Collection for the drive will end at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18.

The need for food increases during the holidays. Many families rely upon food pantries to provide for emergency food needs during the Christmas holiday break.

The 2023 Drive successfully raised $6,000 for the local pantries, coming from more than 30 individuals and organizations. 

Though the annual drive helps support each group’s mission to provide for emergency food needs during the holidays, the pantries also provide food stuffs year-round to needy individuals and families.

More and more families need assistance, each of the pantry representatives said.

“And food costs are skyrocketing,” said Jim Bonner, of St. Francis of Assisi.

Schools occasionally have food drives for the pantries, and individuals have donated large quantities of canned goods, as well.

Bonner said St. Francis of Assisi/St. Vincent de Paul has distributions once per week, and serves about a dozen families each time. Stanford Qualls of Bethel AME said their monthly distributions each reach about 175 families.

Johnny Hart and Don Hollis said Mt. Zion reaches approximately 235 families at each of its monthly distributions. Flora Kelly of Greater Hope Foundation said their monthly distributions reach anywhere from 285 to 300 families.

Donations can be made directly to each of the pantries at any time. Individuals can reach out to the pantries for information on donating to or receiving assistance.

• St. Francis of Assisi/St. Vincent de Paul, 706 South First St., 601-833-0340

• The Greater Hope Foundation, 1955 New Sight Drive NE, 601-833-3907

• Bethel AME, 712 South First St., 601-833-7740

• Mt. Zion Food Pantry, 680 Mt. Zion Road NW, 601-833-8018