L’Observateur asking community to join with us in helping needy this Christmas season

LAPLACE – Each year as L’Observateur begins its annual &#8220Food for Families” program, it doesn’t take long to understand the need for our campaign.

As we promote the program, which provides food boxes for needy families or individuals at Christmas time, we also request individuals nominate those who they know are in need.

And those requests come in more quickly than the donations of non-perishable food items or money so we can purchase more food.

Just as we began to promote the program last week, we heard of a couple of stories that make it clear there is a great need in the River Region to help those less fortunate at this holiday season.

&#8220Grandparents raising grandchild on only a Social Security check. Can use any assistance you can provide.”

&#8220Single mother has three children, after her husband died last year.”

The requests go on and on, and that is why we are hoping you will join with us to help in our third annual &#8220Food for Families” program here at L’Observateur.

&#8220Last year we were able to deliver 136 boxes of food in the area, but I hope we can see that number grow each year,” Publisher Kevin Chiri said. &#8220Being involved with this kind of program for nearly 20 years, including many years when I was in Slidell, I know that every community has more families needing help than you ever realize.”

From now until Tuesday, Dec. 12, we are asking the public to bring us non-perishable food items, or send in monetary donations that we will use to purchase food.

Then on Saturday, Dec. 23, employees and their friends from L’Observateur will personally deliver those food boxes to needy families.

&#8220This is just a small way we can do something for those in our community who are not so fortunate this Christmas season,” Chiri added. &#8220I think that after the disaster we have all endured from Hurricane Katrina, it has made most of us know that we are truly blessed. And the best thing we can do when thinking of that, is to give back to others. I hope we will have many join with us this Christmas season to do just that.”

Individuals or businesses who would like to participate may mail monetary donations to &#8220Food for Families,” c/o L’Observateur, P.O. Box 1010, LaPlace, La., 70459. Or you can bring donations of non-perishable foods to our newspaper office just off Hwy. 44 (old Main Street), located at 116 Newspaper Dr.

We are also taking nominations for anyone you know who could use a food box this year.

If you would like to nominate a family or individual to receive a food box, fill out the form at the end of this story and mail it to &#8220Food for Families,” c/o L’Observateur, P.O. Box 1010, LaPlace, La., 70459.