POCATELLO — Several hotels in the Pocatello area came together for the holiday season to collect food to donate to the Idaho Foodbank.
Heather Holtzen, director of sales at the Holiday Inn Express, said they wanted to do this so they could give back to the community. She said the Holiday Inn Express, Fairfield Inn and the Black Swan Inn are among the hotels that are participating in this food drive that they’re calling “Check Out Hunger.”
“We just wanted to get together and bring some good energy during the holidays,” she said. “Some of the hotels are doing Toys for Tots as well.”
Holtzen said each of the hotels has a box where they collect their donations. They plan to come together on Dec. 14 and take their collections to the food bank.
“The food bank said they needed the food by the 14th,” she said. “They get it ready the week before Christmas.”
Holtzen said her hotel has had a few donations over the course of the food drive. She said the employees at the Holiday Inn have been helpful and even some of the guests have participated.
“We’ve got quite a bit of food in there now,” she said. “Our box is slowly getting fuller.”
Holtzen said her favorite part about holding the food drive has been giving back to the community, especially during a time when prices have been higher.
“It’s nice to know that I can give back to people who need it,” she said.
This is the first year the “Check Out Hunger” food drive has been held. Holtzen said they hope they will be able to hold it in the years to come.