If you've considered donating to the Veterans of Foreign Wars' annual Care and Share food drive, this weekend is the time to do so.

The VFW Care and Share delivers Christmas dinners to Port Aransas families in need.

Collection of nonperishable foods and cash that will be used to purchase perishables will continue until 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21.

Volunteers from VFW Post 8976 will man a table at the Family Center IGA, 418 S. Alister St., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21. Contributions may also be placed in a box at the Family Center or dropped off at the post home, 311 N. Alister St. through tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 19.

Cash contributions may be mailed to Care and Share, c/o VFW Post 8967, P.O. Box 1447, Port Aransas, TX 78373, or dropped off at the post home.

Nonperishable food donations to complement a Christmas dinner will be accepted. Hams, turkeys and other perishables will be purchased with cash donations.

Jim and Janet Brannan are cochairs of this year's drive.

Last year the drive served 180 families, Brannan said. This year they expect to serve more than 200.

Jim Brannan reported that cash contributions pushed past the $5,000 mark this week, and if Dec. 20 and 21 are as successful as last weekend in food contributions, they will match last year's donations.

Eligible families that would like to receive a box of goods to make a Christmas dinner may sign up at the post home by Saturday. They must provide a name, complete street address, telephone number and proof of residency in Port Aransas. Those already registered with the Food Pantry will be registered automatically, but need to make sure the VFW has a physical address and phone number for delivery.

Anyone who expects to receive a box should call the VFW or the food pantry to make arrangements for delivery if they do not plan to be home on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

VFW members and volunteer helpers will set up tables and boxes in the civic center on Monday, Dec. 22. Volunteers will fill boxes with food the next day, then pass them on to the City of Port Aransas Public Works Department for delivery to the families. They hope to do so by Tuesday.

"We don't want to see anyone going into Christmas Eve without their dinner," Brannan said.

Brannan said he is also looking for the names of anyone from Port Aransas or the area currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Another mission of the Care and Share drive is to provide soldiers overseas with Christmas care packages. Call the VFW at 749-6534 with a name, mailing and e-mail address.

Care and Share also donated $2500 to the annual Emergency Medical Service Toy Roundup on Monday, Dec. 15.