COPPELL, Texas -- Minyard Food Stores here is decking its aisles this holiday season with reminders of its annual Cans & Coats food drive.
The retailer has placed bins in its stores for customers to donate cans and boxes of Center Store products, along with used coats. The grocery products are given to food banks in Dallas and Tarrant (Fort Worth) counties, while the coats are sent to the Salvation Army.
"This year we have taken our Cans & Coats food drive further," said Debbie Ellis, vice president of public relations at Minyard. "It will be a bigger promotion than ever before because all of our in-store signage is devoted to the drive."
Minyard has teamed up with its local CBS television affiliate to run commercials about the promotion, she added.
Because of the extra advertising, Ellis said Minyard is expecting this year's Cans & Coats drive to set new records.
"Last year we were able to donate 61 tons of food from the six-week food drive and 6,700 pieces of warm clothing," she said.
This year's promotion kicked off last month and will run through Christmas Eve.
Ellis said Minyard is a strong supporter of food banks, donating about 40 tons of food products from its warehouse annually. While donations include perishables nearing their expiration dates, the bulk of the items are Center Store products, such as dented cans.
"We donate food throughout the year. Every time we get five pallets of food to donate, we call the food bank and they pick it up," Ellis said.
