Ginger Easley, donated hundreds of pounds of food to the Carson Valley Food Closet through the KTVN Share Your Holiday food drive event last year. Easley is collecting online donations this year for the food closet.
Events on Friday and Saturday are designed to give residents in need a boost and maybe boost morale in the process.
On Friday, a scaled-back version of the Share Your Holiday Food Drive is 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Carson Valley Inn to benefit the Carson Valley Community Food Closet.
“We’ve scaled the event back to collection only,” Food Closet Director Sarah Sanchez said. “Channel 2 will still be on site but we will not be doing any of the usual activities.”
Sanchez said the event is the biggest food and fundraiser of the year.
“We need this event to be a success as it usually raises enough food to last through the next 8-10 months depending on what the year brings,” Sanchez said. “With COVID and the uncertainty it brings we are last in line in the food network.”
That means the Gardnerville food closet is the last to have access to bulk food purchases.
Sanchez said food donations that come in on Friday will provide the basis for what the food closet will need in 2021.
Cash donations provide the closet with flexibility to purchase what they need when they need it.
“What we are seeing is an increase in the amount of times someone accesses the Food Closet each month,” Sanchez said. “In the past, where most recipients came once a month they are now coming two or three times a month. Our senior recipients are coming in just about every week.”
In November the food closet served 622 people with more than 17,000 meals.
Sanchez said the first virtual Turkey Trot gave the closet something to be thankful for.
“We had 156 registered participants and raised over $5,000,” she said.
On Saturday, Coldwell Banker is hosting a Stuff Santa’s Sleigh event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at 1674 Highway 395, in Minden.
They are collecting food, hygiene produces, toys or gift card donations for the Carson Valley Community Food Closet.
RE/MAX Realty Affiliates of Gardnerville Realtor Ginger Easley is also raising funds for the Carson Valley Food Closet.
Easley has raised thousands of dollars for the food closet, along with hundreds of pounds of food through annual client gatherings and online fundraisers since 2016.
“This year is so different,” Easley said. “Since we are unable to gather, I’ve been sending emails and cards. We’ve raised a significant amount through the mail, and we’re close to our goal, but we need a last-minute online push to help our local families have food for the holidays.”
Easley set up a direct donation link with the Food Closet.
“This community has always been so generous,” she said. “I wanted to make it easy to keep that spirit alive.”
To donate to Easley’s online drive for the Carson Valley Food Closet, visit https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZSBQ473ERFT6L&fbclid=IwAR2-X3NwjH2ZCctcHlC4-Vt2lASVsaVeZOwAXHnbEktt3Ro_OLE4bHAPJHs
While several organizations have been conducting food drives, a key contributor, Douglas High School Block D Leadership students have been hamstrung by the coronavirus.
“We are not allowed to solicit the community and collect funds in person, as we've done in the past,” adviser Ernie Monfiletto said.
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