MARTIN CO. – The Martin County Legacy Leadership Class has launched a community canned food drive to support the Martin County Council on Aging, a vital organization that prepares more than 18,000 meals annually for local senior citizens. This initiative, developed as the class’s capstone project, is a collaborative effort involving local schools and 4-H.
Community members can support the drive by dropping off donations during the Shoals vs. Loogootee boys varsity basketball game:
- Date: Friday, Jan. 23, 2026
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Shoals Community Jr-Sr High School
The drive specifically targets items needed by the Council on Aging to maintain its meal services for homebound and frail seniors who rely on these daily nutritional programs.
Needed Items for Donation
Donors are encouraged to provide the following approved items to help stock the senior centers’ pantries:
| Food & Pantry Staples | Household & Paper Goods |
| * Cooking Oil & Miracle Whip | * Paper Towels |
| * Canned Vegetables, Fruit, & Soups | * Bathroom Paper |
| * Pancake Mix & Syrup | * Solo Cups & Foam Plates |
| * Sugar (White & Brown), Salt, & Pepper | * Dessert Plates & 8 oz. Bowls |
| * Snack Cakes & Pie Filling | * Ketchup, Mustard, & Sliced Dill Pickles |
The Martin County Council on Aging serves as a critical safety net, offering programs such as Meals on Wheels and congregate dining at senior centers. These services ensure that vulnerable residents receive hot, healthy meals while also providing essential social interaction and wellness checks for those who may be isolated.
Organizers emphasize that this effort is designed to directly assist seniors who depend on these services to remain healthy and independent in their homes.
