Help food shelf during the parade

Though steeped in tradition, the Fourth of July isn’t a holiday most associate with giving and community service, at least not to the extent of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. But this year, one local service organization is making community service easy.

With a gap in fundraisers from May to October, the Salvation Army is turning Friday’s Freedom Fest parade into a food drive.

With demand up at the food shelf this summer, volunteers will push grocery carts to collect food during the parade alongside the Salvation Army truck, unit No. 63 in the parade.

Food shelves are traditionally low in the summer, but this year has seen an increased need in the number of families seeking services. According to case manager Lori Espe, 450 families sought food donations in June, up from 250 to 300 in a typical summer month last year.

The Salvation Army’s stocks roughly 20 food categories, and Espe estimated four or five are low or empty. The food shelf is out of canned vegetables, except for canned spinach, and needs canned peas, corn and green beans. The food shelf is also out of side dish items like macaroni and cheese, boxed potatoes and stuffing, and it’s low on cereal.

Many residents already bring food and snacks to the parade; we urge each Austin family that’s able to bring a few extra canned or boxed items to give to the Salvation Army to help other area families enjoy the summer months.