For two decades before they joined Hutton Broadcasting in 2023, the company’s radio stations in the Four Corners cities of Farmington, Cortez, and Durango have been the driving force behind fall food drives to help feed the hungry. During these Stuff the Bus campaigns, the goal is to encourage donations of food and cash to help families have both happy holidays and nutritious food to eat during the winter months.
The need is real, especially with soaring food prices. Fortunately, the generosity of others can help struggling families enjoy healthy and hearty meals. One donor rolled a shopping cart filled with food up to the bus at the Farmington Stuff the Bus event and said, “Take my shopping cart. There was a time when I needed help.” And now it was her time to help others. It can be yours, too.
Be a Stuff the Bus Sponsor
The first part of this important endeavor is to recruit local businesses to be sponsors. Sponsor recruitment goes on in October in preparation for the donation drives in November. Event sponsors help cover the cost of the project and are recognized with a banner on the side of the bus and in radio announcements.
Businesses that would like to support this project can call Tana McCall at 505-860-3858 in Farmington, contact Ally Orton in Cortez at 970-560-4165, and Jessi Kay in Durango at 970-769-9024.
A Community Project
In each of the three cities, the radio stations work with a local food pantry that will receive the donations. They also partner with a grocery store whose parking lot will be the location of the event. Some grocery stores also offer a discount to shoppers who are buying items to donate.
The local school districts bring over a bus to be stuffed with donations in each community. With local sponsors, radio stations, schools, and individuals coming together to help feed the hungry, this truly is a community project.
What You Can Donate
While Stuff the Bus is primarily a drive for non-perishable items, there will be ice chests available for donations of items like ham or turkey for Thanksgiving dinners. In addition, you can bring a check made out to the receiving food pantry. All donations made during Stuff the Bus stay in their communities.
Stuff the Bus in Cortez
Ally Orton of KRTZ in Cortez, Colorado, says the station has been hosting the Stuff the Bus food drive for more than 20 years. She adds, “The community really gives back and we have that bus stuffed every year!”
In 2023, the event will be held at the Cortez Safeway, 1580 E. Main St., on Saturday, November 11, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and will be gathering food and cash for the Good Samaritan Center. Vitalant will also be there doing a blood drive from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and KRTZ will broadcast live from the event to remind folks to come donate.
Good Samaritan Center is a nonprofit food pantry in Cortez that “prioritizes variety, choice, and culturally-important food in a market-style environment.” The organization also offers workshops and volunteer opportunities.
Take a moment to listen to this short clip of a radio interview on KRTZ with Kirbi Foster, director of the Good Samaritan Center in Cortez, about why the Stuff the Bus campaign matters.
Stuff the Bus in Durango
Stuff the Bus in Durango, Colorado, is organized by KPTE 92.9 The Point and KKDG Durango’s Hit Music Station, benefits Manna Soup Kitchen, and is presented by Sky Ute Casino. The event will take place Saturday, November 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Albertsons store in Durango at 311 W. College Dr.
Manna Soup Kitchen has been feeding the hungry since 1985 and now serves 90,000 meals a year. In addition, the nonprofit trains people in culinary and food handling skills to help them find jobs in the industry.
Stuff the Bus in Farmington
Farmington, New Mexico, will Stuff the Bus on November 18, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Farmington Albertsons store, 4909 E. Main St. Hutton’s Farmington stations have organized Stuff the Bus for more than 20 years, providing thousands of pounds of food donations for area families.
All donations will be for ECHO Food Bank, which “collects, stores, and processes food to distribute to low-income individuals.” In the last year, ECHO Food Bank supported 15,000 area residents with 2.5 million pounds of food, plus provided thousands of backpacks filled with kid-friendly open-and-eat foods, and helped seniors, mothers, and children with food and nutritional information.
Tana McCall, an account executive for Hutton Broadcasting in Farmington, says to potential donors, “You will be helping to support this vital community-based project to restock the ECHO Food Bank shelves for those families in need as we head into the holiday season.”
Be part of the Stuff the Bus campaigns in your area, whether as a sponsor or donor. You can help make the holidays happier for families in your community!