Austinites in the mood to give had a worthy place to direct their energy on December 10: the Frost Bank and CultureMap donation drop-off, benefiting Central Texas Food Bank.
During the two-hour event, more than 700 pounds of nonperishable food items — which CTFB will turn into nearly 600 meals — were handed over at Lamar Union Plaza, and those who donated received a few surprises in return.
Santa Claus himself was there, visiting with those who drove up to donate and neighborhood residents who stopped by on their evening walks.
Frost Bank swag was waiting for those who donated, along with $10 Frost It Forward cards to continue spreading optimism.
This generous gesture from Frost Bank echoed the Optimism Starts With You mural by Mike Johnston, which was located directly across from the drop-off point in front of the Alamo Drafthouse.
Those who attended the donation event also got a head start on entering the social media contest by snapping a selfie by the mural and using #OptForOptimism to enter.
If you'd like a shot at winning the grand prize packages from Lamar Union Plaza — which includes a $100 gift card to Caffe Medici, $40 to Finley's Barbershop, $50 to Shake Shack, $50 to Jjim BBQ, two gift cards for a small treat at Lick Honest Ice Creams, a 10-pack of classes to Orangetheory South Lamar, a 500 mg Broad Spectrum tincture and 400 mg Spot Cooling Lotion from Greenbelt Botanicals Co. (worth $90), $50 to TLC, and $50 to Soto South Lamar — there's still time. Get your post up before December 31, when we'll pick one lucky winner.
The items received from the event are more important than ever to Central Texas Food Bank, which is on the front lines of hunger for an average of 200,000 people each month.
When CTFB was established in 1982, its goal was to help the hungry in the community. Over the years, the weak economy has increased challenges for clients who have turned to food pantries for food assistance.
Now it works with partner agencies in 21 counties across Central Texas, and it provided more than 39.2 million pounds of food to families in need during the 2017-18 fiscal year.
If you missed the event but would still like to contribute to CTFB's important mission, please make a donation this holiday season.
Those who stopped by were encouraged to snap a photo at the nearby mural.
