Webster Community Provides Meals For People In Need
April 12, 2020 at 11:18 p.m.
By David [email protected]
With the coronavirus pandemic keeping many businesses partially closed or completely shut down, unemployment has skyrocketed and people are struggling to keep up.
Mornings On Main Street (MOMS) partnered with Bourbon Street Pizza to provide pizzas to the first 200 cars that came to the business at 643 N. Main St., North Webster, at 4 p.m. Saturday.
At about the same time, just down the road at The Owls Nest, 7369 E. CR 800N, North Webster, a group of people and businesses provided 500 free meals.
The sponsors of those meals included Tippecanoe Township Trustee Chris Francis and his wife LeAnne Francis, Dr. Alan and Peggy Grossnickle, Carolyn Leiter, Brian and Jaime Hull, Silveus Insurance Group, Mike and Judy Wilson, The Sleepy Owl, Andrew and Lindsey Grossnickle, Chris and Shannon Trowbridge, Joe and Angie Racolta, Bart’s Water Sports, North Webster Ace Hardware and The Owls Nest.
Andrea Abel, a member of MOMS that is a women’s group within the North Webster Church of God, said MOMS always does a service project.
“We thought what better way to give to those in need” than to provide a meal, she said. “Being Easter weekend, we thought we’d bring a little cheer to those who are having difficulty.”
They partnered with Bourbon Street by paying for half of the cost of the 200 pizzas, with Bourbon Street paying the other half.
There are about 35 members of MOMS. It is for women in the community to share fellowship, encouragement and connection together in their roles as mothers, according to a flyer they were handing out with the free pizzas. MOMS welcomes expectant moms, moms of babies and toddlers and moms sending children off to kindergarten.
Lindsey Grossnickle said the 500 meals passed out at The Owls Nest were “Easter-style” with roast beef, green beans and mashed potatoes.
“We’ve been doing it family style, that feeds four to five people. We’ve got singles that, obviously, just feed one,” she said.
Saturday’s event was the second time meals were provided by the Francis and Grossnickle families, with the first time just a couple weeks ago at The Sleepy Owl.
“It was same families with this one, and we got some additional people to chip in because we’ve got a lot more. Chris Francis and LeAnne Francis were kind of the ones who said let’s do this one,” she said.
Chris, who also is a deputy with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, decided as part of his duties as township trustee that he would donate part of his trustee salary to do the meal giveaway, Lindsey said. “So he and LeAnne told us that they were doing that, and we agreed to match them, and that just created an outpouring of support and we were able to raise enough to feed 500,” she said.
Chris said, “I donated my monthly (trustee) salary. I just don’t feel right taking the money right now with people struggling out there. To me, and especially as a township trustee, it’s our responsibility to take care of those in need. This is the second (time) I donated, and I’m getting ready to do a donation for the food pantry as well.”
He said the trustee salary wasn’t a primary income for him and it needed to go back to the people who do need it.
They started giving the meals out at about 3:40 p.m. Saturday as the parking lot was getting full. The meals were gone within 40-50 minutes.
There were a number of volunteers helping to make, pack and give the meals away, as well as several providing traffic control. Lindsey said many of the volunteers had also given to the cause.
She said she would “love to” help with another similar event during the COVID-19 pandemic if others wanted to do it again.
“I think when we did it a few weeks ago at the Sleepy Owl, more and more people started doing it. We’ve got the Channel Marker did one, Chubie’s did one, Bourbon Street. There was a pancake breakfast this morning. Next weekend there is one at Milestones, the daycare here in town. So, the Webster-Syracuse area has been awesome,” Lindsey said.
Chris said, “I think the more that we realize that there are those in need, that those that are able to provide will continue to provide. ... I just feel with the need right now, it’s imperative that we give back. And here’s the other side of it, and I feel this is especially for all elected officials that it’s not their primary income, I think right now is the time for us to give back to the people. Because at the end of the day, that’s who we are here for.”
With the coronavirus pandemic keeping many businesses partially closed or completely shut down, unemployment has skyrocketed and people are struggling to keep up.
Mornings On Main Street (MOMS) partnered with Bourbon Street Pizza to provide pizzas to the first 200 cars that came to the business at 643 N. Main St., North Webster, at 4 p.m. Saturday.
At about the same time, just down the road at The Owls Nest, 7369 E. CR 800N, North Webster, a group of people and businesses provided 500 free meals.
The sponsors of those meals included Tippecanoe Township Trustee Chris Francis and his wife LeAnne Francis, Dr. Alan and Peggy Grossnickle, Carolyn Leiter, Brian and Jaime Hull, Silveus Insurance Group, Mike and Judy Wilson, The Sleepy Owl, Andrew and Lindsey Grossnickle, Chris and Shannon Trowbridge, Joe and Angie Racolta, Bart’s Water Sports, North Webster Ace Hardware and The Owls Nest.
Andrea Abel, a member of MOMS that is a women’s group within the North Webster Church of God, said MOMS always does a service project.
“We thought what better way to give to those in need” than to provide a meal, she said. “Being Easter weekend, we thought we’d bring a little cheer to those who are having difficulty.”
They partnered with Bourbon Street by paying for half of the cost of the 200 pizzas, with Bourbon Street paying the other half.
There are about 35 members of MOMS. It is for women in the community to share fellowship, encouragement and connection together in their roles as mothers, according to a flyer they were handing out with the free pizzas. MOMS welcomes expectant moms, moms of babies and toddlers and moms sending children off to kindergarten.
Lindsey Grossnickle said the 500 meals passed out at The Owls Nest were “Easter-style” with roast beef, green beans and mashed potatoes.
“We’ve been doing it family style, that feeds four to five people. We’ve got singles that, obviously, just feed one,” she said.
Saturday’s event was the second time meals were provided by the Francis and Grossnickle families, with the first time just a couple weeks ago at The Sleepy Owl.
“It was same families with this one, and we got some additional people to chip in because we’ve got a lot more. Chris Francis and LeAnne Francis were kind of the ones who said let’s do this one,” she said.
Chris, who also is a deputy with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office, decided as part of his duties as township trustee that he would donate part of his trustee salary to do the meal giveaway, Lindsey said. “So he and LeAnne told us that they were doing that, and we agreed to match them, and that just created an outpouring of support and we were able to raise enough to feed 500,” she said.
Chris said, “I donated my monthly (trustee) salary. I just don’t feel right taking the money right now with people struggling out there. To me, and especially as a township trustee, it’s our responsibility to take care of those in need. This is the second (time) I donated, and I’m getting ready to do a donation for the food pantry as well.”
He said the trustee salary wasn’t a primary income for him and it needed to go back to the people who do need it.
They started giving the meals out at about 3:40 p.m. Saturday as the parking lot was getting full. The meals were gone within 40-50 minutes.
There were a number of volunteers helping to make, pack and give the meals away, as well as several providing traffic control. Lindsey said many of the volunteers had also given to the cause.
She said she would “love to” help with another similar event during the COVID-19 pandemic if others wanted to do it again.
“I think when we did it a few weeks ago at the Sleepy Owl, more and more people started doing it. We’ve got the Channel Marker did one, Chubie’s did one, Bourbon Street. There was a pancake breakfast this morning. Next weekend there is one at Milestones, the daycare here in town. So, the Webster-Syracuse area has been awesome,” Lindsey said.
Chris said, “I think the more that we realize that there are those in need, that those that are able to provide will continue to provide. ... I just feel with the need right now, it’s imperative that we give back. And here’s the other side of it, and I feel this is especially for all elected officials that it’s not their primary income, I think right now is the time for us to give back to the people. Because at the end of the day, that’s who we are here for.”
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