Feed the Children Serves Love County Families
Posted on Monday, December 18th, 2023
Marietta - December 18, 2023:
Giant Food Distribution: With the 53’ long Feed the Children truck in the background at the Mercy Health Love County Growers Market Monday, some of the 25 volunteers who distributed food and resource packages to eligible Love County families take a bow. They are senior students in the ACT Prep class at Turner High School, and include Kadence Wiley, Jaci Hartman, Josey Cavitt, Braylee Foster, Adison Lee, and Peyton Abernathy. At back are Feed the Children Event Manager Aaron Hazel, Chief Corporate and External Affairs Officer Bob Thomas, and Turner High School teacher Brian Sanders. The Feed the Children truck driver (not shown) was Dillon Khal.
Mercy Health Love County and Feed the Children, a leading anti-hunger organization, partnered for a resource rally to distribute food, daily essentials, and resources to 400 pre-identified Love County families Monday, December 18, at the Growers Market Building on hospital grounds.
In the drive-through event, each participating family received a 25-pound box of food such as canned vegetables, cereal, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, and additional shelf-stable food items; 15-pound box of essentials like shampoo, razors, lotion, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and feminine hygiene products; a dignity box filled with Avon products; children's books and toys.
The hospital's licensed food pantry serving the hungry and food insecure of Love County, led by Lula Finch, and the Senior Volunteer Program of Love County, which operates the county's food commodity distribution program and is led by Mary Jones, assisted. They pre-identified families regularly served in their feeding programs for eligibility. A total of 25 community volunteers gave out boxes at the Growers Market and by home delivery.
"It is only through partnership that we can reach at-risk families during the holiday season," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "No child should go without, and Feed the Children is thankful for our partnerships that can help ease the burden many families are facing."
Representing Feed the Children at the Marietta rally were Bob Thomas, Aaron Hazel and Dillon Khal, all of Oklahoma City, where Feed the Children is based.
Thomas, who is Chief Corporate and External Affairs Officer for the charity, toured the hospital, food pantry, and growers market. He praised the pantry and senior volunteer leaders and helpers for efficiently organizing a high-traffic event.