3rd Annual ‘Trick or Can’ Food Drive

Local organizations are teaming up for the 3rd annual Trick or Can?! Food Drive event, which brings in food donations for the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent. Excel Complete Home Healthcare and Gulf Coast Rehabilitation are coordinating the drive and hope to recruit volunteers to help deliver flyers Monday and pick up food items from doorsteps Thursday. Vanessa Gann, director of rehab at Excel Complete Home Healthcare, started the program three years ago when she worked at Gulf Coast Rehabilitation, and the drive has continually grown. "I just kept it going when I moved over," she told the Victoria Advocate. "We went to about 1,000 homes last year." H-E-B donated 1,500 brown bags to the health facilities for the drive, and Monday, volunteers from Victoria College and the two companies, along with students from the Health Occupations Students of America clubs at Victoria East and West high schools will deliver them to neighborhoods. For residents who choose to participate, they simply leave the bag filled with non-perishable food on their doorstep, and volunteers will pick up items from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

Home Depot donated boxes that are at the six outpatient clinics in Victoria, Edna, Port Lavaca, Goliad, Shiner and Cuero. They will collect non-perishable food items through Nov. 14.

Trick or Can?! Food Drive was started to help the food bank for the upcoming holiday season, Gann said. "We see a lot of people who struggle," she said. "We really wanted to try to give back to the community."

Rachel Jones, who runs development and programs at the Food Bank of the Golden Crescent, said the need for donations is crucial right now. The Food Bank of the Golden Crescent serves 11 counties, including Victoria, Calhoun, Colorado, DeWitt, Goliad, Gonzales, Jackson, Lavaca, Matagorda, Refugio and Wharton.

For more information contact Vanessa Gann at 361-575-4500 or vgann@gcrexcel.com.