Local internet provider Sparklight is collecting food donations through Dec. 2 to benefit St. Felix Pantry as demand increases among area families during the holiday season.
Donations can be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sparklight’s retail location at 7501 Nita Place NE in Rio Rancho. The location will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving.
The drive will conclude with a free community barbecue Dec. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., coinciding with the National Day of Giving. Sparklight will present the collected items along with a $1,500 donation to St. Felix Pantry. The donation comes from the company’s Refer-A-Friend campaign.
The pantry needs dried beans and rice, canned beans and vegetables, pasta and pasta sauce, canned fish and meats, peanut butter, boxed macaroni and cheese, dried fruit and nuts, instant mashed potatoes, and canned soups and stews.
“We believe no one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from — especially during the holidays,” Jay Macleod, Sparklight’s senior regional director for the Southwest, said in a press release.