If you see kids sporting costumes in front of local grocery stores before Halloween, they won’t be asking for candy. They’re Mission Viejo High School students taking part in the 2014 Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat food drive.
With a 2014 theme of “Feed the Need,” Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat is a national community service program that collects canned and dry goods for charities and food banks. Local students will collect food to help about 228,000 Orange County children who face hunger each month.
This year, Mission Viejo High School is joining forces with several area high schools including Trabuco Hills, Laguna Hills, Tesoro, Capistrano Valley and San Juan Hills with the goal of collecting 40,000 pounds of food, which would feed about 2,000 people for a week. Last year, Mission Viejo High School alone collected 36,349 pounds of food – enough to feed 1,820 people for a week.
The community can help by donating non-perishable food items to benefit South County Outreach and faith-based pantries that assist the needy as follows:
• At area grocery stores every Saturday in October from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
o Oct. 4: Albertsons in Mission Viejo on Alicia/Olympiad; Albertsons in Mission Viejo at Muirlands/La Paz; Ralphs in Mission Viejo at La Paz/Marguerite; and Trader Joe’s in Rancho Santa Margarita (Santa Margarita Pkwy and El Paseo)
o Oct. 11: Albertsons in Mission Viejo at Muirlands/La Paz; Ralph’s in Mission Viejo at La Paz/Marguerite; Ralphs in Mission Viejo at Trabuco/Alicia; and Trader Joe’s in Rancho Santa Margarita (Santa Margarita Pkwy and El Paseo)
o Oct. 18: Albertsons in Mission Viejo at Muirlands/La Paz; Albertsons in Rancho Santa Margarita at Plano Trabuco/Santa Margarita Parkway; Ralphs in Mission Viejo at Trabuco/Alicia; Ralphs in Rancho Santa Margarita at Antonio/Santa Margarita Parkway.
o Oct. 25: Albertsons in Mission Viejo at Muirlands/La Paz; Albertsons in Rancho Santa Margarita at Plano Trabuco/Santa Margarita Parkway; Pavilions in Rancho Santa Margarita at Antonio/La Promesa; Ralphs in Mission Viejo at Trabuco/Alicia; and Pavilions in Mission Viejo at Oso/Marguerite.
Folks can also drop food items off in bins marked with a “Feed the Need” sticker at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way, and City Hall at 200 Civic Center.
