By Jeremy W. Steele
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - All right, put down that bean burrito. And do you really need that extra taco?

Instead, Todd and Becky Wilber hope you'll dig around between the lint and those car keys in your pocket for a bit more change, then donate a buck to Reach Out Lakota, a nonprofit food bank serving West Chester and Liberty townships.

OK, so the Wilbers, who own nine Taco Bell restaurants, would probably rather you buy the taco and donate the dollar, but the thought's still there.

"We have had, from time to time, a need for some of our employees and were made aware of their services," said Becky Wilber, who lives in West Chester with her husband. "If they could help our people with a service in the community for their families, then we wanted to give back."

So, beginning today, the Wilbers are launching their first Taco Bell fund raiser for a local charity.

Through July 15, they'll be asking customers at their Tylersville, Hauck and Princeton-Glendale roads stores to donate their extra change to Reach Out Lakota.

For $1 (bringing a typical meal's price tag to $6 instead of $5, Wilber says), donors will get their name on a certificate to hang behind the register.

The restaurateurs hope to raise $1,000, and plan to launch fund-raising campaigns for local charities twice a year.

Reach Out Lakota serves about 145 families a month.

The food pantry distributes food, personal hygiene products, household items and clothing to anyone facing financial difficulties.

"We've got everything from canned vegetables to cereal to everything in between," Reach Out Lakota Executive Director Lourdes Ward said.

Reach Out Lakota

Address: 6561 Station Road, West Chester

Hours: 4-8 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays

To make a mail donation: P.O. Box 362, West Chester, OH 45071-0362

Make a donation at these area Taco Bell restaurants through July 15:

3970 Hauck Road, Sharonville

8126 Princeton-Glendale Road, Beckett Ridge

7757 Tylersville Road, West Chester

E-mail jsteele@enquirer.com