The owners and employees of Champagne Jewelers on Corporate Square in Slidell are doing their part to help the poor and hungry during the holiday season by collecting non-perishable food items.

So far, according to store manager Amanda Hover, the store has collected “a huge amount” of food for the local charity, Community Christian Concern.

It all started before Thanksgiving, when the store was preparing to celebrate Champagne Jewelers’ 60 years of business in the parish by holding a big sale. They were also going to hold a drawing for prizes of diamond and emerald earrings, plus diamond pendants and tennis bracelets. The value of all the prizes is about $8,300, Hover said.

Employees of Champagne Jewelers in Slidell show all the food they have collected during the holiday season to be donated to the organization, Community Christian Concern. From left are Debbie Callens, Dolores Pizzolato, Vicki Lloyd and Chas Champagne. (Submitted photo)

Being the holiday season, the jewelry store decided it would be a good time to help out those in need. That’s when they came up with the idea for a food drive. Anyone who came in with a non-perishable food item would earn a certain number of points. Customers who earned enough points would get one of the six prizes.

“The community has supported us for 60 years, and we knew we had to give something back,” Hover said.

Champagne Jewelers is the oldest jewelry store in the parish. They started 60 years ago in Covington and opened their second store in Slidell 35 years ago.

Hover said customers have responded to the food drive and giveaway with great enthusiasm.

“We get people who come in two or three times a week, dropping off food,” Hover said. “We even have one couple who buys food just for this while they do their regular weekly shopping.”

There has been so much food donated that employees have had to deliver the donations twice so far to make room in the store. The first delivery was a couple of days before Thanksgiving. During that delivery, a good Samaritan had donated several turkeys for the people at Community Christian Concern. There was another delivery last Monday.

The final delivery of food will be Jan. 3, when the prizes will be awarded to those customers who accumulated the most points in the food drive.