Yuma community doing its part to provide food for the needy this holiday season

It's a record year already for the 'Grab and Give' bag food drive - FOX 9's Adam Klepp reports

YUMA Ariz. (KECY, KYMA) - From Thanksgiving to Christmas dinners, and all the meals in between, food is a big part of the holidays. 

But with shaky economic times, and rising prices, it’s not always easy to put food on the table.

So if you’re looking for an easy way to make a big impact this holiday season, a Sprouts "Grab and Give" bag is one option.

At checkout, simply tell the cashier you’d like to add one to your purchase, and it goes directly to a family in need, in the Yuma community.

“There’s enough in each bag for a day’s worth of meals. There’s a box of cereal, 3 boxes of mac and cheese, and energy bars," store manager Jim Luft said.

The grab and give bag costs 10 dollars, and is something Sprouts does across all of its chains. Luft says the Yuma community always is generous, but this year, they’re leading the pack.

"Arizona is our region, and right now Yuma is number one in terms of selling these bags. Which I think is awesome,” Luft said.

Last year 3000 bags were donated by Yuma sprouts shoppers. This year, that number has already been beaten, with more than a month left in the drive.

After a bag is purchased at Sprouts, it is picked up by a driver from the Yuma Community Food Bank.

Michelle Merkley, Director of Programs for the Yuma Community Food Bank, says the food bank is not just for those who are homeless, or unemployed.

“You can be okay living paycheck to paycheck, but if something happens, you get sick and there’s some medical bills, do you pay rent or buy food?" Merkley said. "So that’s where we help, so they don’t have to worry about it.”

Merkley says they help 1500 households a month, and in the last year, gave out 16 million pounds of food. Most importantly, she says especially in these times, there is no stigma around needing help.

"We just want to get that message out, that if you need help, just come by, let us know and we’ll do what we can to help you out," Merkley said.