As Food Drive Fridays heads into second-last week, multiple groups have come through with huge contributions

It’s the second-last week of Food Drive Fridays, the community effort to help keep the local food shelf stocked during a global pandemic, that’s left many in need.

The drive takes place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday at three locations (listed below) and is put on by multiple charity groups throughout La Crosse.

Those donations go to the Hunger Task Force of La Crosse, which has seen 55,447 pounds of food and over $225,300 donated over the first five weeks of the drive.

The food shelf will then use those donations to help supply the nearly 100 food pantries, youth organizations and meal sites throughout the area. The Hunger Task Force of La Crosse is the only food shelf between Madison, and Rochester, Minn.

Over the first five weeks, as the La Crosse community has steadily contributed at the drive-thru locations, multiple entities have also come through with amazing donations, that started with an anonymous $25,000 matching donation in the first weeks.

That was followed by local nonprofit, God’s Country Muskie Inc., sending the Hunger Task Force a check for $5,000.

After that, it was Firefighters Credit Union announcing it was going to match donations up to $50,000.

And last week, River States Truck and Trailer held a chicken que that raised $9,500, which it matched doubling the money, which then was doubled again by Firefighters for a total of $38,000 from 500 chicken dinners sold.

Along with the Hunger Task Force, the drive is put on by the La Crosse County Health Department, iFeed and multiple rotary clubs, including Rotary Lights of La Crosse.

The best things to donate are these five items: cereal, peanut butter, tuna, pasta, pasta sauce.

LOCATIONS

o Onalaska area: Valley View Mall parking lot (by former Macy’s location): 3800 Hwy 16,
La Crosse, WI (MAP)
o Downtown La Crosse: La Crosse County parking lot behind the Courthouse & Law
Enforcement Center: 333 Vine St, La Crosse, WI (MAP)
o South side La Crosse: Big Lots parking lot: 3960 Mormon Coulee Rd, La Crosse, WI (MAP)

NONPERISHABLE DONATION EXAMPLES:

Canned items needed include meats (tuna, chicken), peanut butter, soup, fruit; boxed side dishes (stuffing, rices, potatoes); breakfast items (cereal, oatmeal, etc); canned ravioli and Spaghetti O’s, pasta & pasta sauce.