Johnson County Crisis Center asks for PB & J donations

IOWA CITY - The Crisis Center of Johnson County is asking locals to "Spread the Love" this month by donating peanut butter and jelly to the organization's food bank.

According to Beth Ritter Ruback, the center's Communications and Development director, the "Spread the Love" peanut butter and jelly drive is the first time they've targeted a specific item for donation.

Peanut butter provides inexpensive, essential protein, Ritter Ruback said, which is hard to come by for many families due to the rarity of fresh meat donated to the food bank. Also, canned meats like tuna only last for one meal.

"If you open a jar of peanut butter, that can be sandwiches for a week," she said.

The request for jelly was added because "jelly's just nice for a family with kids," Ritter Ruback said, adding that the food bank does not purchase jelly, so donations are the only way some families can get it.

The Crisis Center, 1121 Gilbert Court, chose February for a couple reasons, Ritter Ruback said. Donations drop off after the holidays, so a drive can help combat that dip. Also, she said the staff found a "Spread the Love" campaign fitting for the month of Valentine's Day.

By highlighting one important food staple at a time, Ritter Ruback said they hope to make the community more aware of the Crisis Center's needs. She said they plan to do targeted drives like this one every couple months.

"We'll have about 3,000 visits at the food bank this month, so 3,000 jars [of peanut butter] would be a dream come true," she said. "But even 100 jars would be fantastic."

The center can only accept store-bought, unopened items, according to a press release.