The city of Mesquite needs community help for recently launched summer Spread the Love Campaign

Mesquite, Texas – In an effort to bolster nutritional support for children during the long summer period, the city of Mesquite has launched an altruistic initiative, called “Spread the Love Campaign”.

This commendable project, bridging the gap between food insecurity and children’s access to nutrition, invites community participation through donations and runs its course until the significant labor event of the nation, Labor Day, on September 4th, 2023.

The initiative’s core proposal encourages the community to contribute jars of peanut butter and jelly, staples of a child’s diet, transforming them into the edible embodiment of compassion and care. However, this year has observed an insightful shift in the modus operandi of the campaign.

The city is making an explicit call for donations of alternative butters, catering to the dietary needs of children with nut allergies. The safe alternatives promoted include sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seed butter, offering a tangible symbol of the city’s commitment to inclusivity and the overall wellbeing of all its young residents.

To facilitate the collection process, the city of Mesquite has marked four strategic locations for drop-offs. These include the George A. Venner, Sr. Municipal Center, located at 1515 N. Galloway Ave, the civic heart of the city, Mesquite City Hall at 757 N. Galloway Ave, and two educational havens, the Main Library and the North Branch Library, located at 300 W. Grubb Drive and 2600 Oates Drive respectively.

In an exemplary demonstration of collaborative altruism, the city has joined forces with Sharing Life Community Outreach, a Mesquite-based nonprofit organization. This organization, running a well-organized food pantry and offering a suite of other services such as a clothes closet, job placement assistance, and emergency financial support, is the city’s chosen vehicle for distribution of the collected food. Furthermore, Sharing Life also accepts financial contributions in support of the “Spread the Love” campaign year-round on their official website sharing.life/donate.

The “Spread the Love” campaign was conceived out of a pressing need – to cater to the multitude of children who depend on free or reduced lunches during the academic year but find themselves bereft of these essential programs during summer. By providing nutritious food options that children can safely and independently prepare at home, “Spread the Love” is not just spreading sustenance but also fostering a sense of self-reliance among the city’s youngest residents.

Since the campaign started in 2016, Spread the Love has brought in hundreds of pounds of food as well as thousands of dollars from sponsorships. To learn more, visit www.cityofmesquite.com/spreadthelove.