STLSportsPage is combining with others to do the Choose Happy Holidays Food Drive to benefit Operation Food Search and the Affton Food Pantry.

The need is so great right now in the Greater St. Louis Area, and so many families are going to bed hungry. We just wanted to do our part along with hopefully, you, our readers to help provide these great food pantries with more food. If you live near another pantry and this spurs you on to help them, then please do. Everyone should be working together for the greater good.

“It is our hope that all over St. Louis, people are collecting food and donating it to the area food pantries so no one will be hungry,” said Rob Rains. “If it’s convenient for you to drop some food off at one of our locations,  we will do our part to deliver it, and make sure it gets to where it can help people. We appreciate anyone who gets on board.”

Mike Rains adds, “We are grateful for the sponsors who stepped forward to serve as pick-up points. We also appreciate many of you who have stepped up to be Food Drive Captains, collecting items  from your friends and family, and then getting them to us.”

After mentioning this in our newsletter, we have already had several people step up and contact us. If you would like to serve as a collection captain you can collect items at your work or with your friends and then turn it in to us. A family food drive might even be fun for Thanksgiving.

With circumstances as they are, we are also going to offer a bag to any of our families in Rainbows for Kids (they would have a child with cancer or other serious situation) who are food insecure due to loss of job or should the Snap benefits be cut Nov. 1. If we have readers who in a tight economic situation  for those reasons also, they are welcome to email us at Rains@STLSportsPage.com with details of their situation and could be eligible for a bag.

We are basically trying to help anyone in the Greater St. Louis Area who needs our help and we plan to do it through the two food pantries listed above.

We appreciate so many of you, including Tricia O’Neal, shown left, for helping us. Tricia got on board in a big way and gave us cases of food.

In planning what we want to put in the bags, we are taking into consideration that someone may not have a refrigerator so we are going for things that don’t take eggs (with the Bisquick or canned bread) but we also know some families would love to make a cake for the holidays so we want to also be able to offer a cake mix and icing. Though the Betty Crocker cake mixes call for eggs there are ways you can make the cake without eggs.

We plan to make at least two drop-offs to the food pantries, one in time for Thanksgiving  (and Hanukkah) and one in time for Christmas.

Other items beside food:

We will also deliver tooth brushes, toothpaste, personal items, shampoo, soap, and diapers.

How you can get involved:

Option #1- Choose any items from our list of preferred items and buy a few items. Drop them off at one of our drop-off points.

Option#2- “Fill-A-Bag” — Buy one of each of the preferred items:

Option #3- Buy things off of our Amazon Wish List

For Amazon Wish List: CLICK HERE. 

Option #3- Buy items in bulk.

Drop-Off Points

Thanks to these companies who offered to help with the food drive.

Just Added: Sweet Em’s Bakeshop in Dogtown

Sweet Em’s Location & Hours. Sweet EM’s 6330 Clayton Ave Saint Louis, Missouri 63139 (314) 875-9174 ·

Norrenberns Lumber and Hardware

Special thanks to Patrick Bruce, owner of Norrenbern’s Hardware.

Norrenberns Lumber and Hardware has participated with us in a canned food drive in the past and as soon as we sent the call out to them, Patrick and Steve Bruce immediately responded. They will have a big box in their store.

If you ever need any type of lumber or hardware check them out as they have great personal service.  Norrenberns is located at 10500 Tesshire Dr, St. Louis, MO 63123 (off Tesson Ferry Rd. between Lindbergh and Gravois)

MB Health Insurance Agency

MB Health Insurance Agency is also helping sponsor the food drive. Mike Butz and his group, including Kim Besterfield are all very community-minded and they love to get out in the community and help others. They will have a  box in their office. Meanwhile if you have any questions about insurance they will be glad to answer. Mike really knows a lot about Obamacare.

They are at 9700 Mackenzie in an office building near Reavis. Walk in the front door and MB’s office is at the end of the hall to the right.

Factor Physical Therapy

Thanks to Drs. Matt and David Factor, owners of Factor Physical Therapy in Yorkshire Plaza.

Factor Physical Therapy has an easy location. They are in Yorkshire Plaza off Watson Road. Dr. David Factor and Dr. Matt Factor were happy to pitch in when we told them about the idea. They will have a box in their lobby. Keep them in mind when you need a physical therapist. They were recommended to us and are very good.

The address for Factor Physical Therapy is 8031 Watson Rd, St. Louis, MO 63119.

Gene-Del Printing

Jason from Gene-Del Printing. We appreciate Keith Dodel, Brian Dodel, Sean Dodel, and Joyce Locke also from Gene-Del.

Gene-Del Printing on Manchester in Brentwood is another drop-off point. Keith Dodel, Brian Dodel and Eric Dodel will help you with any printing you need done. We have been using Gene-Del Printing for all our printing for more than 45 years and they do a great job. They will have a box in their lobby.

Gene Del Printing is located at 9019 Manchester Rd, St. Louis, MO 63144.

Thank you to everyone who gets involved. We have no idea how this will go. Will we be swamped? Or will we not get as many. Whatever happens we will do our best to help with this very serious problem in St. Louis: hunger.

WE appreciate those who helped us on the work-day for our first delivery. On Nov. 21 we delivered food to Operation Food Search and on Nov. 22 we gave the other half to the Affton Food Pantry.

We plan to make another delivery in December, so please help by taking your items to our drop-off points or order from our Amazon Wish List (above)