LAPLACE – The reasons for the L’Observateur &#8220Food for Families” program are as simple to understand as the nomination forms we get each year.

Here are just a few:

&#8220Low fixed income. Not able to buy Christmas dinner this year.”

&#8220Katrina evacuees with five children, husband and father-in-law. Lost everything in the Lower Ninth Ward.”

&#8220Mom has cancer. Have a retarded daughter, dad retired and can’t work.”

&#8220Living on fixed income and don’t have enough money to buy food.”

And the nomination forms for those seeking assistance this year go on and on.

The deadline to donate for the third annual L’Observateur &#8220Food for Families” program is this Friday, December 15.

The program sponsored by this newspaper was begun to reach out to those at Christmas time who are not as fortunate as most, and could use some assistance with a food box this holiday season.

However we are asking the public, from individuals to local businesses, to help us make this a success by donating to the program.

From now until Friday, December 15 we are asking you to bring us non-perishable food items, or send in monetary donations that we will use to purchase food.

&#8220We use 100 percent of the donations to our program for needy families,” Publisher Kevin Chiri said. &#8220So I hope we will see a lot of individuals, as well as businesses hold food drives, to help us in the next week.”

On Saturday, Dec. 23, L’Observateur employees and their friends will personally deliver those food boxes to needy families.

Our program guarantees that every penny donated will provide food for needy people in the region, as all work to box the food and deliver it, as well as the purchase of boxes by L’Observateur, is handled by our employees here.

Individuals or businesses who would like to participate may mail monetary donations to &#8220Food for Families,” c/o L’Observateur, P.O. Box 1010, LaPlace, La., 70459. Or you can bring donations of non-perishable foods to our newspaper office just off Hwy. 44 (old Main Street), located at 116 Newspaper Dr.

We are also taking nominations for anyone you know who could use a food box this year.

If you would like to nominate a family or individual to receive a food box, fill out the form at the end of this story and mail it to &#8220Food for Families,” c/o L’Observateur, P.O. Box 1010, LaPlace, La., 70459.