The Perry Public Library is partnering with Dallas County Public Health for a free event that will put food into the hands of people who need it.

The Food Recovery program is today at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s large meeting room. Library Director Mary Murphy says they’ve been supplied by local grocery stores with items recently cleared out of their inventory. “This is food that has been on the shelf too long but is still edible. It’s not surprising that grocery stores and restaurants have to throw away food because of some corporate policy or state mandate. But the food is still good to eat, (so) we’re harvesting that food and we have it available for anybody to come and get it.”

Murphy adds, there are no requirements for getting the food, though it is first-come, first-served. She points out it’s mostly fruits and vegetables, which goes along with the library’s healthy eating initiative this year. There will likely be more food recovery programs at the library in the coming months.