Large turnout for Christmas Food Basket Distribution

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December 21, 2009

By DUANE NOLLEN

OSKALOOSA — People formed a line that snaked through Central United Methodist Church and out into the church parking lot Saturday morning for the annual Christmas Food Basket Distribution.

The Oskaloosa Board of Realtors teamed up with the Human Services Resource Council as well as the Oskaloosa Middle School Student Council and the Oskaloosa Hihg School Honor Society to organize and distribute food baskets to people in need.

"It's always been a big line," volunteer Lyle Williams said. Williams helped organize and stack food boxes as people came through the line to receive them. "I've been doing this for eight years."

"This is the 26th year that we've been doing this," volunteer Russell Sparks added.

People began lining up for the Christmas food baskets around 7 a.m., said Candace Slobe of the Human Services Resource Council.

Slobe said there were 569 food baskets prepared for distribution, and each basket had about $35 to $40 of groceries - enough for a holiday dinner.

A lot of effort goes into preparing the food baskets, Slobe said.

The Board of Realtors and the Human Services Resource Council receives donations from individuals and organizations and they solicit past donors for help. Food is purchased from Fareway and Hy-Vee and trucks from Oskaloosa Food Products and Matthew Carpet are used to load the groceries Friday. Middle School students help prepare the boxes on Friday, and on Saturday, OHS honor students help people with their baskets at the church.

"It goes by quickly," Slobe said of the distribution Saturday. She said the boxes should be distributed by 10:30 a.m.

There are about 20 to 25 volunteers who worked Saturday. Also, members of the Assembly of God did home deliveries, and Charles Aldridge did home deliveries in New Sharon.

The Christmas Basket distribution was county-wide in scope. People had to fill out an application and were accepted based on income and household size, Slobe said.

Herald Editor Duane Nollen can be reached by email at oskynews@oskyherald.com

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