Published on December 26, 2018
Phelps Health teamed up with GRACE (Greater Rolla Area Charitable Enterprise) and the Good Samaritan of the Ozarks-Waynesville this fall to provide Thanksgiving meals to more than 200 families in need during the “Bag of Thanksgiving” food drive.
Phelps Health employees and volunteers, along with community groups and businesses, were encouraged to donate non-perishable food items during the food drive held from October 17 through November 14. This marks the eighth year Phelps Health has sponsored this collection.
This year, a total of 201 bags of food were filled, with one bag feeding a family of four. In addition to the bags of food, an extra 1,200-plus items were collected for local food pantries.
The Phelps Health Marketing Department also donated turkeys, butter and eggs to complement the food items, so area families had all of the items needed to make a Thanksgiving meal.
The donated food was distributed to GRACE and the Good Samaritan of the Ozarks-Waynesville. The results of this year’s food drive well surpassed Phelps Health’s goal to collect 150 bags.
Phelps Health employees donated several food items, and several community organizations and businesses made donations as well, including Acar Real Estate, Brewer Science (which donated 41 boxes of food items plus six turkeys), Drury University-Rolla, the FLEE Group (made up of Phelps Health retired employees), Kent Jewelry, Results Radio, Rolla Nazarene Church, Rolla Municipal Utilities, Silver Eagles and USA Tours.
The Phelps Health Mission Possible group sponsored this year’s food drive.
“This really was a team effort. It was great to see both Phelps Health employees and local businesses step up to ensure area families in need did not go without a Thanksgiving meal this year,” says Tracy Limmer, Mission Possible team member and Phelps Health community relations manager.
The Mission Possible organization thanks everybody who contributed to this year’s food drive.