Newton’s Third Annual Citywide Food Drive is underway and will run untilDecember 30. Last year more than 300 boxes of donated items were distributed to the four Newton food banks, and we hope to do even better this year.

You can donate the following items at more than 30 drop-off locations throughout Newton before December 30: canned fruit and vegetables, jarred pasta sauce, peanut butter, jelly/jam, ground coffee, tea, cake and pie crust mixes, baby food, juice boxes and bottles, vegetable oil, bar soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, and children and adult diapers. Items should be unopened and should not have an expired use by date.

On Thursday, December 31st, volunteers will gather at Newton City Hall beginning at10 a.m., to help sort and package the donations. All are welcome to help including children. For more information and a complete list of drop-off locations, please call 617-796-1540 or visit: www.newtonma.gov/fooddrive.

Food instability is not just a problem around the country but is here in Newton too. Overall about 7% of public school students in Newton receive free or reduced lunches, and, in five of our elementary schools that rises to 30% of the children. Our city has four food pantries that serve at least 1,200 families and individuals each month.

Please contribute anything you can to the food drive or provide a monetary donation. I appreciate anything you can do to ensure that everyone in our city has enough to eat.

Setti D. Warren

Mayor

City of Newton, MA