SHARE cupboards are bare of frozen meats
By BURLON PARSONS bparsons@journal-spectator.com

Staff Photo by Burlon Parsons SHARE volunteer purchasing coordinator Paulette Kirkpatrick shows the one roll which is the only thing sitting in SHARE's big commercial freezer right now. The support program for the needy is in dire need of frozen meats to stock the freezer.

When SHARE volunteers go to the pantries these days they find plenty, but their freezer is a different story.

Where there would normally be a few chickens, turkeys and boxes of ground beef there's nothing but a small frozen Maxberry roll. The cupboard is bare.

The collection of canned goods and nonperishable items has been tremendous this year, says Paulette Kirkpatrick.

The opportunity to have frozen meat has not been available to SHARE.

"Area residents have been very generous in other food items," Kirkpatrick said. "But we have not been able to purchase any frozen meats from the Victoria food bank. They get one allotment per year to distribute among a lot of community programs. They just have not had any frozen meat available this year."

SHARE's commercial freezer can hold 20 cases of frozen chicken. Now it sits empty.

Normally there would be some packages of frozen ground meat, this year there's none.

Kirkpatrick says SHARE normally gives out about a three-day supply of groceries to qualified applicants.

They would usually give one meal of frozen meat. But not this year.

"We've been giving out a couple of meals of the cans of canned meats we have," she said. "But for people on a restricted diet the canned meats are not good because they have so much sodium in them."

In the past SHARE would pay for the commercial processing of calves donated by area ranchers.

But this year there have not been any of those donations.

So, how can the freezer be filled? First of all donors can take advantage of sales on chickens, turkeys and hams during the holiday season.

Secondly area ranchers could donate a calf. If they take it to the processor, SHARE would pay for the processing, says Kirkpatrick.

Thirdly, hunters who might have last year's commercially processed meats they want to get out of their freezers to make room for the new hunting season.

These items could be dropped off at SHARE, 229 W. Milam, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, or call Kirkpatrick at 532-4880 to make arrangements for a pick up.