Gleaning For the World has teamed up with national and state agencies in an attempt to gather some homeland support for families of American military.
The American Red Cross and the Virginia Defense Force are also involved in the project, dubbed “Operation Enduring Support.”
The project kicks off Saturday with a “fill the humvee” food drive at Lynchburg’s Sam’s Club, on Wards Road.
Doug Eggleston, Emergency Services Director of the Red Cross’s Historic Virginia chapter, said in a news release that a commissary will be opened for families of soldiers in the Virginia Army National Guard’s 1/116th Infantry Battalion.
The families will be able to shop there for free once a month.
“This will be a very special project for our Services to the Armed Forces department and the others involved,” Eggleston said.
Gleaning For the World President Ron Davidson said he was glad to lend his organization’s support to the effort.
“We found out that the families need some help, and we want to try to get the community together to do what we can to help them.
“Families are oftentimes the ones that are forgotten about, and really do need the support,” he said.
Davidson said he expected the organization to play a large role in publicizing and gathering donations for the pantry.
“The families can’t go out and ask for donations. By golly we can,” he said.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Sam’s Club on Wards Road, residents can bring donations of food, household products and baby products to donate to the pantry.
Davidson said he has sensed nothing but support from the area for its military, and he expected a good turnout Saturday.
“I just thank God for this community,” he said.
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