Jonesboro School holds food drive

Nearly a ton of food was collected by Jonesboro School students for a local food pantry for their ninth annual Christmas food drive. 

At the final count, 1,968 items weighing in at 1,921 pounds of canned food and dried goods were accumulated for the Shawnee Development Council’s Union County food pantry. 

This included over $100 in cash donations, which was spent at Union County Market in Jonesboro at a special rate. 

Jonesboro science teacher Dayna Will helped organize the event.

According to Brandy Sevenski, Union County coordinator for the Shawnee Development Council, the food pantry served over 1,500 individuals, including 574 families and 191 seniors, in the past month.

The food pantry is located on the grounds of the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna. 

The food pantry operates solely on donations, and events like the Jonesboro food drive help the Shawnee Development Council serve the region.  

The organization runs a number of programs to help people in the region, including heating assistance, employment assistance, housing programs and senior services. 

The food pantry is open every Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For more information on the food pantry or on the programs the Shawnee Development Council offers, contact Brandy Sevenski at 833-7431.