Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center donates 1,700 jars of peanut butter to food bank

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo., (KBSI) — Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center donated more than 1,700 jars of peanut butter to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank as part of its annual “Jars of Love” drive.

The collection, held in recognition of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, totaled more than 27,000 ounces of peanut butter and other nut butters, according to the hospital.

Donations came from hospital employees, medical staff, volunteers and local businesses, including Walmart, Whitworth Jewelry, First Midwest Bank and the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority.

Officials said the drive aims to address food insecurity in the region, where one in six families and one in four children face hunger, according to the food bank.

Peanut butter is one of the most requested items at food banks because of its nutritional value and long shelf life, but it is often among the least donated.

Hospital leaders said the annual drive has become a tradition focused on supporting local families in need.

Over the past three years, the medical center has donated more than 19,000 jars of peanut butter to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank.