The City of El Paso and District 4 City Representative Carl Robinson are asking the community to donate canned goods for the 17th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Canned Food Drive that starts Tuesday, January 3, through Monday, January 16, 2017.
The MLK Canned Food Drive is held each year to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of community service. The City and Representative Carl Robinson, Chairperson of the MLK Committee, encourages the public to start the New Year by helping others and donating canned and non-perishable food items.
Donations can be dropped off at locations throughout the city, including public libraries and grocery stores. The food will then be sorted and distributed to organizations that serve the hungry.
In addition, the El Paso Public Library’s Food for Fines program will give patrons the opportunity to pay library fines by donating canned and non-perishable food.
From January 3 through January 14, library fines will be reduced by $1 for every can of food donated up to $5 per day, provided that library books and materials have been returned in good condition.
The MLK Canned Food Drive is a project of the City of El Paso and other community partners in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Since the first drive in 2001, an estimated 280 tons of food has been collected, helping reduce hunger in our community.
Collection Sites: Big 8 Stores, Walmart Neighborhood Markets, Walmart Super Centers, Vista Quality Markets, Horizon Vista Food Stores, Montana Vista Food Store, Vista Central Supermarket, Public Libraries, City Hall, County Courthouse, El Paso Juvenile Justice Center, County Sheriff’s Downtown Jail, Headquarters and Annex.
Beneficiaries: Salvation Army, Opportunity Center for the Homeless, Center Against Family Violence, La Fe Montana Vista Community & Satellite Resource Center, La Posada Home, El Paso Villa Maria, La Familia Del Paso, Reynolds Home, Recovery Alliance, YWCA Transitional Living Center, El Paso Rescue Mission.
For more information on the MLK Food Canned Food Drive, call the El Paso Public Library at (915) 212-3201 or visit www.elpasolibrary.org.
