Plano residents asked to ‘spread the hope’ by donating to county peanut butter drive

PLANO, TX – Plano residents are being asked to donate and help area families in need during the seventh annual Collin County Spread the Hope Peanut Butter Drive.

The drive kicks off Sept. 1 and is part of the North Texas Food Bank’s annual effort to collect plastic jars of peanut butter for hungry children and their families. The economic downturn brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has caused the food bank to more than double its food distribution, according to a video report from the City of Plano.

Some people are experiencing hunger and food insecurity for the first time in their lives.

“When we started planning this year, little did we know great the need for hope would be in 2020,” Mayor Harry Harry LaRosiliere said in a video report.

Residents are encouraged to donate online or set up a fundraiser on the Peanut Butter Drive campaign platform at bit.ly/2020pbdrive. Public drop-off sites have been eliminated this year due to the pandemic. However, regular-size plastic jars of peanut butter are being accepted at the food bank’s Perot Family Campus.

Every dollar donated will provide a hungry person with a 16-ounce jar of peanut butter. This year’s goal is to raise a total of 220,000 pounds of peanut butter in person and virtually. Last year, 190,251 pounds of peanut butter were collected, according to the food bank’s website.