National food drive to feed pets

Amid all the holiday cheer, charities nationwide urge us to remember to help feed, clothe, and house the poor. Now, for the third year, the Season of Suppers is underway, a pet food drive for financially struggling, homebound seniors. Partners include Banfield, The Pet Hospital, the Banfield Charitable Trust, and Meals on Wheels Association of America.

All locations of Banfield, The Pet Hospital, will accept cash and pet food donations through the end of the year. People can also help by buying pet-themed note cards at Banfield locations or e-mailing requests to info@banfieldcharitabletrust.org; all proceeds from the cards go to the senior pet food program.

The program's supporters say pets provide seniors with incomparable companionship and help, and seniors sometimes support their pets against their own best interests. “We know that many seniors in our community are compromising their own nutrition by sharing their meals with their pets,” says Phil Shippers, director of the Visiting Nurse Meals on Wheels program of Rochester, N.Y. Shippers started his pet feeding program partly with a $1,000 grant last year from Season of Suppers.

Last year's drive raised more than $50,000 to help 50 senior meal programs start or continue pet-feeding programs across the country, according to a Banfield spokesperson.