Knoxville’s three food pantries will be featured on today’s Hy-Vee Food Drive Friday’s Special Edition News Magazine.

The weekly special edition news magazines will air at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Friday through December 20th. Additionally, the KNIA/KRLS Big Red Radio will make stops at area Hy-Vee stores and other community locations to further encourage donations to local food shelves and other programs, such as the Food Bank of Iowa. KNIA/KRLS is highlighting area food shelves in Marion, Warren, and Jasper counties to raise awareness about food insecurity in our communities. Today’s program will feature Pat Finan with Helping Hands Food Pantry, Verlin Goodyk with the Panther Food Pantry and Judd Nelson with the Celebrate Church Food Pantry. Finan says it is important to donate this time of year but also all year as well. 

“We are grateful people but we are also smart people. We realize that the holidays is when it is more present on people’s minds that not only how blessed they are at Thanksgiving, but also giving at Christmas. They want to make a difference in the lives of people who may not be as blessed or are who might be struggling with joblessness, homelessness, addiction, mental health issues or all of the above. We’re here for them and I would love if people just made a note in their phone or calendar and put a little reminder in August or October because people are hungry then too.”

The links to the three interviews will be posted on kniakrls.com after they air.