MONTE VISTA — Colorado Grille will be donating 10% of all their sales in Alamosa and Del Norte on Thursday, Nov. 9, to the Monte Vista Emergency Food Bank.

The Monte Vista Emergency Food Bank serves up to 600 people every year for its Thanksgiving and Christmas distributions. As the holidays draw near, the needs of the food bank grow bigger, food bank Executive Director Jennifer Becker said.

“Our food bank runs solely on the generous donations of the community. Individuals, businesses, churches, clubs, and schools make our job a lot easier in helping to provide for people's food needs. We are still in need of many donations to provide food for the holidays,” she said. “I am so appreciative of the Colorado Grille doing this for the food bank. One thing that is so important to me is to help feed the community and never allow anyone to go hungry. I truly appreciate what the Colorado Grille is doing and all the other generation donations and support that the food bank has been given. The donations help so much.”

Becker said that she is also appreciative of the support from the community and the San Luis Valley Landfill as this weekend on Oct. 28, Make a Difference Day will take place.  

Make a Difference Day, is a day when people can clean up their yards, take their trash to the San Luis Valley Regional Landfill and donate nonperishable food items to pay the fee.

Costs will vary, a pickup or a carload, or single axle trailer is 16 food items, a loaded pick up and a single axle trailer is 32 food items, a loaded pick up and a double-axle trailer is 48 food items, and a dump truck is 64 food items. All larger loads will be adjusted according to size. The hours for the Make a Difference Day will be from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28. All the food will be donated to the Monte Vista Emergency Food Bank.

The food bank does have specific needs for the holidays and tries to provide everything a household would need to make a traditional holiday meal. Donations for the following items are also being accepted at the food bank — turkeys, ham loaves, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberries, green beans, pumpkin, evaporated milk, crushed or chunked pineapple, chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, cake and cookie mixes, boxed Jello, and canned olives. The food bank requests that all the items be unopened and not expired.

Becker wishes to thank the Colorado Grille, the San Luis Valley Regional Landfill, and everyone in the community who has donated and will donate to the Food Bank. Becker stated, “Together we can make a difference and make sure that nobody is hungry this holiday season and all year round.”

For more information, contact the Monte Vista Emergency Food Bank at 719-852-4851. Monetary donations can be mailed to the food bank at PO Box 844, Monte Vista, CO 81144.