Lions prep for Pack the Pickup

Jacksboro Lions Club prepares for the 11th annual Pack the Pickup event along with Lowe’s Market and Four Stars Ford, collecting food items and monetary donations to benefit the Jacksboro Community Food Bank.

Lions will be on hand from 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29 through Friday, Oct. 31 at Lowe’s Market in Jacksboro asking shoppers to consider a donation.

“The Jacksboro community has always been so generous in their giving and support of our project, knowing it provides for the needs of local individuals,” Lions Club Project Chairman Tim Cassle said. “Lions appreciate it.”

The annual food drive collects approximately 3,500 pounds of food each year; in 2024 Lions collected close to $1,000 in cash donations alone.

Students at Jacksboro ISD will also be collecting donations for the food drive. Last year elementary school students collected 1,643 food items, with the fifth grade winning the class competition with 644 items donated.

Starting in 2015 to help supplement the needs of the Jacksboro food pantry, JCFB Executive Director Sheri Kettlety said the drive was most beneficial this time of year.

“Lions’ Pack the Pickup food collections are the JCFP November distribution, hands down,” Kettlety said.

All shelf-stable food donations will be accepted, but specific requests include Tuna Helper, chicken noodle soup and vegetable beef soup, macaroni and cheese, rice, pasta and beans, jelly, cereal, pancake mix and syrup, canned fruits and vegetables, canned meats (SPAM, Dinty Moore beef stew, Sweet Sue’s chicken and dumplings, ravioli and Vienna sausages) and snacks (Pop Tarts, Little Debbies, etc.).

All monetary donations will help supplement the pantry’s monthly distributions.