The 19^th annual Holiday Food Pantry Drive begins now.

Over the next few weeks, The Daily Leader and Bank of Brookhaven will collect monetary donations for local food pantries.

The bank and news company have teamed up to organize the Holiday Food Pantry Drive for 19 years now.

The drive has raised tens of thousands of dollars, which has been distributed to various food pantry organizations in the area. This year’s pantries are St. Francis of Assisi/St. Vincent de Paul, The Greater Hope Foundation, Bethel AME and Mt. Zion Food Pantry.

“We are blessed to live and work in a great place,” said Bank of Brookhaven President Shannon Aker. “Our folks are always so generous.”

Donations are now accepted at both The Daily Leader office on North Railroad Avenue and at the bank, either with bank tellers or through drive-through windows. Checks can be made to Holiday Food Pantry. Donations can also be mailed to Holiday Food Pantry, The Daily Leader, P. O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602.

Donations will be published in the newspaper as they are received. Donors for the drive have the option of giving in memory or honor of someone, anonymously, as a business or as an individual. The contributors’ names — unless requesting anonymity — and gift amount are publicized in The Daily Leader as they are submitted. A grand total of donations will also be printed in each issue.

Collection for the drive will end at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16.

The need for food increases during the holidays. Many families rely upon food pantries to provide for emergency food needs during the Christmas holiday break. So everyone is asked to give generously.