WBRZ HOSTS FEED A FAMILY FRIDAY DURING 31^st ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE

BATON ROUGE, La. – Join WBRZ for Feed a Family Friday on October 30, 2015 from 5am to 1pm at Albertsons on Perkins at Essen. Area residents and businesses are urged to bring perishable items such as turkeys, hams, fruits or vegetables. All food donations will be delivered to less fortunate members of the community.

WBRZ News 2 is currently conducting its 31^st annual Feed a Family food drive through October 31. With the aid of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and The Baton Rouge Clinic, WBRZ placed food collection barrels with the “Feed-A-Family” logo in area grocery stores to collect non-perishable food items.

“For 31 years WBRZ has led this food drive to help feed families in need, especially during the holidays and going into the winter months”, said Mike Manning, President and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. “Their commitment and dedication to our community and those in need cannot be demonstrated any better than their simple call to action for our community to help Feed a Family.

 Area residents are urged to place non-perishable food items such as canned goods, dried milk, flour, rice, baby food, etc., in the Feed a Family barrels through Saturday, October 31. Volunteers will deliver all donations to the Food Bank, where they will then be stored and distributed to agencies, serving individuals in our community.

"I've made countless trips to the warehouse at the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank both for news coverage and as a volunteer,” said Anchor Sylvia Weatherspoon. “It’s heartbreaking to see rows of empty shelves, knowing that thousands of people in our area rely on the food that fills those shelves to help feed their families. The good news is that our community is always willing to make a difference thanks to their generosity and faithful support. “

 According to Feeding America, 17% of the population in our area is at or below the poverty line. Food collected will be distributed through the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, which serves 11 area parishes, including East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. James, St. Helena, Livingston, Ascension and Assumption Parishes.

Feed a Family is sponsored by The Baton Rouge Clinic. For more information, visit WBRZ.com.