MINERAL COUNTY – With the holiday season almost upon us, Mineral Community Hospital and Mineral Regional Health Center have begun a food drive to ensure residents have access to celebratory dinners.

The Holiday Food Drive began Friday and will run until the end of the year. According to Outreach Coordinator for MCH, Monte Turner, the food collected will be split between the Mineral County Food Bank and the Alberton Food Pantry. Weekly deliveries will be made on rotation between the two locations and all donations will stay in Mineral County.

According to Turner, there will be a fun twist as donations are put in a horse trough loaned from the Alberton feed store. The gimmick should be a fun way for people to see how many donations have been made. The trough will go back and forth between the MCH and MRHC lobbies over the course of the food drive.

“This makes it more fun and includes other businesses who want to help us, help the county,” said Turner.

Everyone in the county is encouraged to participate, whether a patient of the institutions or not. Turner felt the generosity of the community was overpowering. He recalled how similar causes had raised record-breaking sums of money, which increase every year. Last year, the food drive generated a couple hundred pounds of food, an amount the MCH staff is confident can be beat this year.

Turner said Mineral County’s community may be small, but it takes care of its own. With a population density of less than four people per square mile in a county larger than Delaware, the communities are close. Turner said whether through the harvest of a garden or hunt, people like to help neighbors and friends. He felt the food drive was the perfect opportunity for the community to come together and support each other.

“We feel this Holiday Food Drive has the means to be a monster-sized help this season,” Turner said.

MCH and MRHC first held the Holiday Food Drive last year. According to Turner, changes were made to improve the drive and its operation. The hope is to turn the food drive into an annual event. Upon pick up at each location, food will be weighed and recorded to set goals for future years.

Drop off points for food are in the lobbies of MCH and MRHC. According to Turner, hospital and health center staff are available 24/7 to take donations. Drop off locations are also located at the Jack Lincoln Memorial Clinic in St. Regis and the Wells Fargo Bank in Superior. With many drop off points throughout the area, the drive has taken off with high hopes.

“This might become bigger than we imagined,” said Turner.

If anyone would like to make a donation, but cannot make it to a drop off location, Turner has offered to pick up donations for delivery to the food drive headquarters. To arrange a donation pick up, call Turner at 822-5122.

The food drive will run until Monday, December 30.