Christmas came early to nine communities in eastern Washington as Positive Life Radio’s “Christmas in July” food drive brought in nearly 17,000 pounds of food and personal care items.
“The last few years we collected about 10,000 pounds, so this is a significant increase,” says Kevin Krueger, Positive Life Radio station manager. “The community really got involved with many church groups and businesses holding their own smaller food drives right before ours and then dropping off what they had collected.”
More people also donated money this year. “People are busier now and don’t always have time to stop and buy food,” says Sali Miller, Positive Life Radio office manager. “But they usually have time to drop off money. One woman drove by, handed a fistful of money out of her car window, and drove off.” PLR counts one dollar as equal to one pound, but local food banks estimate a dollar will buy between three and six pounds of food.
During the food drive on July 25, PLR aired Christmas music from noon to 6 p.m. as staff members called in live reports and stories from each location. Food was collected in Lewiston, Spokane, Wenatchee, Moses Lake, Yakima, Pendleton, Leavenworth, the Tri-Cities, and Walla Walla, and will be distributed by local food banks.
The annual “Christmas in July” food drive increases awareness that families struggle with hunger all year long, not just during the holiday season. “It brings the Christmas spirit out in people, and they seem so happy to come give,” says Krueger.
Positive Life Radio can be heard on various frequencies in eastern Washington or online at www.plr.org.
PLR morning show host Don Godman and son Gavin weigh food donations.
A Walla Walla youth group drops off donations from a pre- "Christmas in July" food drive.
