Officials at Good Samaritan Ministries’ food pantry are getting set to begin packing their annual Christmas boxes for local families in the coming week.

Those schools, groups, businesses or organizations that have collected food for Hunger Awareness Month at Good Samaritan Ministries, are asked to call Misty Bowers at 643-2273 or 325-203-2489 to arrange pick up or delivery of your food items.

GSM would like to have all of the collected foods in the warehouse by the end of the week if possible so they can begin packing Christmas boxes next week.  Donations can also be dropped off at GSM, located at 305 Clark Street on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Each December GSM distributes Christmas food boxes in addition to their clients’ regular grocery staples. The boxes are filled with most of the ingredients needed to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner.

GSM typically sees more people in the month of December than any other month of the year. This year, GSM staff and volunteers are preparing 1,200 Christmas Boxes.

Some of the food items included in the Christmas boxes are a baking hen, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, chicken broth, green beans, cranberry sauce, pie filling, stuffing mix, cornbread mix, cake mix, and frosting.  It costs approximately $35 to provide a box of food for each family.  These donations from food drives have helped fill this need.

Those who are not involved in a group or organization’s food drive and would like to donate to the GSM Christmas boxes and other food pantry programs are encouraged to mail a donation or drop by a food or financial donation to GSM at 305 Clark Street in Brownwood during the above mentioned hours.

Good Samaritan Ministries is a local food bank that serves Brown County residents.  For more information about GSM and its many ministries and volunteer opportunities, please contact call  643-2273.