Holiday drive in Wilson collecting food for needy students

The food drive is being organized by CHEW – Children's Hunger Elimination of Wilson – a volunteer-based nonprofit formed in February after volunteers decided to spend two months helping feed students identified as underprivileged at two Wilson schools.

"I figured it was localized to one school – maybe a couple of schools," the group's co-chairman, Glenn Blackwell, said. "Little did I know that it involved every school within the school system in Wilson."

Volunteers say there are ways to tell.

"They always clean their plates. They always ask for extra food," said Jennifer Lantz. "If they miss, say the breakfast, because a bus is late, they'll cry."

For the food drive, organizers are trying to get enough food to feed nearly 600 students. It's not even a quarter of the way to meeting the goal.

Volunteers are taking donations – both non-perishable food and monetary – until Dec. 17 at two locations in Wilson.

Donations are being accepted in the parking lot of Walmart, at 2500 Forest Hills Drive weekdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

They are also being collected outside Food Lion at the Shoppes at Brentwood, at 2801 Ward Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends.