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Annual fall food drive offers time of giving

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The holiday season is in full swing, and many will be out shopping for gifts for loved ones and cooking treats and goodies for friends and neighbors. The season is also a time when many step up and volunteer their time, money and heart to those less fortunate.

This year's Annual Fall Food Drive at Hill Country Bible Church was a perfect indication that locals are ready to help others - the event had one of the best turnouts in its eight-year history.

Pastor Doug James, Community Impact Minister at HCBC, said “It was amazing to see the outpouring of love towards those in need this holiday season. We had over 70 people donate their time to set up for us, assemble turkey baskets, sort food, pack and label boxes, pack the truck, and deliver the baskets to the families in our area.”

Kelly Klein, HCBC communications director, said grocery bags were passed out to the congregation and ads were placed in the bulletin asking everyone to fill the bags and place them by their cars on Sunday, Nov. 23. Volunteers then picked up the bags and assembled them.

“We collected enough food to not only fill 60 large ‘Turkey' baskets with food and other items, but we filled the Hill Country Community Ministries truck floor to ceiling,” said James.

He said the turnout of both donations and volunteers has increased every year with last year and this year having about the same amount of success.

James said while the food drive's goal is to fill enough baskets for a local apartment community and stock the Hill Country Ministries' truck and freezer with food, it's also a time to create friendships.

“This is to think of our drive as an opportunity to provide friendship and caring hands...not just a basket of food,” he said.

Expectations are high every year for the food drive and other community service projects and the people of HCBC NW always exceed those, James said. “Every time our folks are asked to give, they exceed all expectations.”

The food drive is just one of many projects HCBC undertakes every holiday season to help those in the community. The Tree of Lights, similar to the Salvation Army's Angel Tree, is another upcoming project for the church.

To learn more about the Fall Food Drive or the Tree of Lights, visit the church's website at www.hcbc.com or call the office at (512) 331-5050.




e-mail jenn@hillcountrynews.com




This story was originally published on November 28, 2008

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