Football fans and students at Pella and Pella Christian made three truckloads of donations to the Pella Community Food Shelf as part of the first tailgate Food Truck Friday Drive held this past week.

Executive Director Melissa Zula tells KNIA/KRLS News those who donated helped refill empty shelves after a busy August wiped them out on many supplies.

“It’s so awesome and beautiful to see a community work together as one,” she says. “It wasn’t just about one school doing something or one organization, this was about a community all coming together to support an organization whose mission is to take care of our friends and neighbors right here in Pella.”

Zula says they have numerous programs starting for those in need as colder weather approaches, and continued donations help ensure they are able to help anyone that comes to them for assistance.

Fans at Pella and Pella Christian helped fill the beds of two Pella Motors pace trucks prior to last Friday’s home games, and a class competition was held at Pella High School to provide another big donation to the Pella Community Food Shelf, which is open on Tuesday mornings and evenings at The Well on Oskaloosa Street.

Lincoln Elementary Principal Rich Schulte reported at this school board week’s board meeting that three third grade students: Gretta Miller, Brayden Sundby and Cami Smith, decided that they wanted to help as well, so they coordinated an effort to assist families who could not get items to the truck, but could drop them off at school. They made posters, created a newsletter to parents and spoke to each classroom about how each student at Lincoln could help make a difference in the community.