DALLAS TWP. — The Back Mountain Food Pantry received over two dump trucks filled with non-perishable food items on Nov. 17, according to pantry manager Carol Eyet.
The pantry expected a large donation from the ‘Fill the Truck’ food drive, which was a team effort between Dallas Township and the Dallas School District, but the sizable donation exceeded Eyet’s expectation.
“We received so much,” she said, estimating they accepted two and a half truckloads of donated food items.
Eyet did not have a final total of the amount received — yet.
The collection from the drive is currently stored in a room at the food pantry, Eyet said. Volunteers are still sorting out the items, and then it will be weighed for a final tally.
“It will take me a couple of days to get a total number,” she said.
The large donation will be used as the pantry prepares for its annual Thanksgiving Distribution, which will provide holiday dinners for 169 Back Mountain families, Eyet said.
“Donations are appreciated any time of the year,” she said, adding the pantry assists 200 local families throughout the year.
Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Monetary donations can be mailed to the Back Mountain Food Pantry, 40 Knob Hill Road, Trucksville, PA 18708.
Dallas School District students eagerly accepted the challenge to fill two four-ton municipal dump trucks.
Gary VanDeutshch, Robert Wagner and Daniel Kozick, township Road Department members, arrived at the district with two trucks and stopped at each school for about an hour to collect student donations.
After visiting Wycallis Elementary, Dallas Middle School and the high school, both trucks were filled and headed to the Back Mountain Food Pantry, located at the Trucksville United Methodist Church, to unload.
Then the trucks went to Dallas Elementary School to collect “a couple of hundred pounds of non-perishable food items,” said Principal Thomas Traver.
“Everyone brought in something,” Traver said. “We are a very philanthropic school.”
A small group of third-graders, along with Traver, carried boxes containing canned goods and other items, such as stuffing and pasta, with military precision to the trucks.
VanDeutshch, Wagner and Kozick met the youngsters and loaded the items into the trucks.
Dallas Township Supervisor Elizabeth Martin said the “Fill the Truck” food drive will be repeated for the community from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, the Dallas Township Municipal Building, 2919 Route 309 in Dallas Township.
The food collection was included in a year-long series of community events designed to celebrate Dallas Township’s bicentennial, Martin said.
“We wanted to do something to give back to the community,” Martin said.
Other upcoming bicentennial events include a Christmas Home Decoration Contest.
Dallas Borough and Dallas Township residents, who registered their homes by Nov. 27, will have their exterior decorations judged from Dec. 4 through 7 by members of the Back Mountain Bloomers.
Also, the Dallas Days Old-Fashioned Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the site of the former Dallas Township School, off Church Street in Dallas Township.
Winners of the Christmas Home Decoration Contest will be announced at the tree lighting ceremony.
Visit dallastownship.org for other Dallas Township bicentennial news.
