Tallahassee Democrat
“Volunteers pack meals for families in need”
June 5, 2015
By Valerie WickboldtMore than 114,900 people live in poverty in the Big Bend area. Of those, 29,400 are children. Summer is a critical time for children who depend on free or reduced price school lunches. When school is out, many of these children do not have a reliable source of food. To help combat this serious issue, A Full Summer will take place today at Rickards High School where 280 volunteers will gather to assemble 60,000 meals to deliver to families across the Big Bend area.A Full Summer is an event and a 501c3 nonprofit organization lead locally by St. John’s Episcopal Church and First Baptist Church of Tallahassee. Funds are raised to purchase the ingredients for the meal assembly. The event goal this year is to raise $15,000 for 60,000 meals. Any monies in excess of the $15,000 will go directly to Second Harvest of the Big Bend. The past two years, A Full Summer has given more than $5,000 to Second Harvest in addition to 90,000 meals assembled.Second Harvest of the Big Bend is on site to move the boxed food to their warehouse. Throughout the summer, they take the meals, which are packaged beans and rice with dried vegetables and vitamins, to low-income summer programs for kids.“Although St. John’s Episcopal Church and First Baptist of Tallahassee sponsor a large part of A Full Summer, the event is truly a coming together of all people to help those who need it in our community,” said program chair Laurye Messer. “We can talk about a hunger problem all day, but unless we do something about it, nothing will change. When we feed the hungry, we feed our soul.”A Full SummerWhen: 10 a.m.-noon todayWho: Teams from Boys Town of North Florida, Rickards High School, Camp Shalom, St. John’s Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, Tallahassee Heights United Methodist Church, Tallahassee Community College, several law firms, Advent Episcopal Church, Good Shepherd, and moreWhere: Rickards High School cafeteria 3013 Jim Lee Road, Tallahassee, FLContact: Please contact Valerie Wickboldt at (850) 597-4960 or vwickboldt@jamesmadison.org.Article: http://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/faith/2015/06/05/volunteers-pack-meals-families-need/28564935/
2015
