River Club youth heads up food drive

RIVER CLUB — Seventeen-year-old Christina Meiser caught a glimpse of poverty as her family drove past a Salvation Army.

Although the experience lasted only moments, it is one Meiser has carried with her for seven years. It’s one that has prompted the River Club youth to take action.

For the seventh year in a row, Meiser and her friends and family will collect canned food in the River Club community this weekend.

River Club residents are asked to leave canned goods in a bag by the driveway — in a spot easily seen from the road — June 8. Volunteers will be stopping by homes to gather donations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“I love doing the drive and helping people,” Meiser said. “Passing out flyers to 1,000 homes over three days (to promote the event) and rounding up friends to help is exhausting, but the final result is totally worth it.

“It’s the right thing to do,” she added. “To me, it doesn’t matter how someone ended up at the Salvation Army. What matters is that they’re there and they need help.”

Meiser, who is an upcoming senior at Sarasota Military Academy, said she continues to look for ways to expand the drive and collect more food for the Salvation Army.

“I just hope this year’s food drive goes smoothly and that we get a lot of food because the need just keeps growing,” she said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

HOW TO HELP
River Club Food Drive
River Club residents are being asked to leave bags of canned goods at the end of their driveways before 9 a.m. June 8. Items will be collected between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and they will be delivered to the Salvation Army.