Every semester the Tyler Junior College Art Club organizes a food drive for people who need extra help in the local area. 
This fall semester they will be collecting food through Oct. 31. Donations will be given to Tyler AIDS Services.
“We’ve become a source of food for Tyler AIDS Services and other food pantries around town,” Derrick White,
an art professor at TJC and organizer of the food drive, said.
In 2006, Tyler Aids Services organized a competition, where University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler Junior College and Texas College competed. Tyler Junior College won the competition by beating the other two colleges with 1,500 cans of food. Since then, Tyler Aid Services has come to TJC for the canned-food drive.
The food drives take place in April and October. For this semester, donations can be dropped off at Jenkins Hall art department lobby or contact Derrick White at 903-510-2233 or dwhi@tjc.edu for pick-ups
“I think it’s a really good idea (doing the food drive), I think it’s helpful,” Kayla Battles, freshmen student at TJC, said.
Any can or non-perishable food items will be accepted; refrigerated food products such as milk, eggs, or cheese cannot be accepted.
Also they will be collecting crayons for kids. They will accept Crayola brand crayons in 64- or 96-count boxes only, so that they will be easier to ship. These items will be given to Life International Missions to Honduras.
“They’ll take them to children that don’t have access to creative materials around the world,” White said. “(Students) can (donate clothes too), anything that they think someone in another country might need we’ll take and will go with the mission trip as well,” White said.
The deadline for the Honduras mission drive will be Thursday, Oct. 18, and items can be dropped off at the art department lobby at TJC, as well.
Dulce Flores
Staff Writer
