The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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  • Merle and Phyllis Phillips (above) arrange items on near-empty shelves at the Horn of Plenty Food Bank. (Staff File Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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September 26, 2010

Horn of Plenty seeks local aid during annual food drive Sunday

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — Enid’s Horn of Plenty gave out 120,000 items in 2009 and more at the start of this year, but now the shelves are bare.

The annual fall food drive will be held 1-5 p.m. Sunday with more than 700 volunteers ready to go, said Merle Phillips, president of Horn of Plenty.

“The shelves are empty and we’re begging for food,” Phillips said.

The warehouse at 16th and Randolph and the annex both are empty, and Phillips said the need continues to increase every year.

Horn of Plenty serves 20 agencies in Enid and recently accepted the town of Drummond as another agency.

Horn of Plenty also received permission from Enid schools this year to send home color fliers showing how donations — food or financial — can be made to the organization.

“We will send out more than 6,000 of those,” said Phyllis Phillips, corresponding secretary of Horn of Plenty.

Officials prefer cash or checks to be sent to P.O. Box 5583, Enid, OK 73702. They ask that cash not be sent in the bags of food.

“It may be a month before we got to it,” Phillips said.

A number of agencies are associated with the regional food bank in Oklahoma City, and Phillips said they can buy reasonably priced food though that food bank.

If food is not picked up by 5:30 p.m., those who are donating should call Horn of Plenty at 234-6612 and someone will come pick it up, Phillips said.

“Put the food bag by the front door so the volunteers can know it is there. Sometimes they won’t go up to the door,” Phillips said.

Food also can be brought to the food pantry at 16th and Randolph 9-11 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Last year the organization gave $30,000 to agencies to purchase food. Horn of Plenty is not associated with any national organization and does not give to individuals but donates to local agencies.

Those agencies are: Abundant Life Canter, Department of Human Services, First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Saturday Manna program, Garriott Road Church of Christ, Head Start, Hope Outreach and House of Prayer.

Also, Living Word Fellowship, North Garland Church of Christ, Our Daily Bread, Philadelphia Seventh-day Adventist Church, Salvation Army, Sandra Basley Center, Shepherd’s Cupboard, St. Gregory’s Catholic Church, St. Matthew’s Episcopal, University Place Christian Church, YWCA, Zoe Bible Church and the town of Drummond.

Enid Horn of Plenty has operated on a strictly volunteer basis for 28 years. None of the funds given to the charity are used for salaries, Phillips said.

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