Holiday Food Drive for Shelter House

Shelter House, the domestic and sexual violence center serving Okaloosa and Walton counties, is currently accepting donations for its annual holiday food drive. The agency collects food and packages it into complete holiday meal baskets for domestic and sexual violence survivors and their families, taking into account the number of people in each home. 
 
“The holidays should be a joyous time,” said Shelter House Executive Director Michelle Sperzel, “but it can bring on major stress for the women we serve. After leaving an abuser, many women struggle financially. The holiday meal baskets Shelter House provides for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the help of generous donations from the community, bring the holiday spirit and comfort to these families during the most difficult time of their lives.”
 
Shelter House accepts non-perishable food items at any time. Due to storage capacity, perishable items such as hams, turkeys, bread and fresh fruits and vegetables will only be accepted on Monday, November 25 for Thanksgiving meals and Wednesday, December 18 for Christmas meals. All donations should be delivered to the Shelter House administration office located at 102 Buck Drive in Fort Walton Beach between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
 
Suggested donations include: turkeys, hams, mashed potato mix, stuffing mix, gravy, soups for casseroles, cranberry sauce, crispy fried onions, fresh fruits and vegetables, pie filling, pie crusts, condensed milk and laundry baskets. Gift cards are always welcome.
 
For more information or to volunteer for meal basket assembly, contact Shelter House at 850-243-1201.