Our Tradition Continues: Barrels of Love Food Drive

Daikin volunteers with just a portion of the food items raised for Barrels of Love 2022.

What happens when local area food banks deplete their resources during the end-of-year holiday season? Since 2013, volunteers from Daikin other local companies have helped to replenish them with their Barrels of Love food drive.

Each year from Valentine’s Day through the first Friday in March, the companies team up to restock the depleted shelves of local food pantries in Decatur-Morgan County.

Among the organizations receiving food in 2022 were Committee on Church Cooperation (CCC), Salvation Army, and local schools.

Food collected through the Barrels of Love campaign provides food and snacks for local school Backpack programs. Thousands of school-age children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school also need assistance when they go home for the weekend or on long holiday breaks. The Backpack program does just that.

On Fridays, Backpack programs in Morgan County and Decatur City schools provide two-day supplemental meal kits for those most at risk for hunger over the weekend. Kits include ready-to-eat foods, like fruit cups, milk, pasta, sauce, and more. The program helps ensure children arrive Monday morning ready and able to learn without the distraction of hunger.

The continued generous support from Daikin America’s employees for the Barrels of Love helps feed needy families and helps make our community a better place to live, work, and play.