Local Churches Distribute Food Donated By Feed The Children
Local Churches Distribute Food Donated By Feed The Children
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Local Churches Distribute Food Donated By Feed The ChildrenRain didn't stop volunteers Tuesday from distributing food and personal hygiene products to county residents in need.
There were eight church groups of approximately 40 people from Kosciusko County that unloaded a semi-truck filled with food and personal hygiene items donated from Feed The Children. The distribution was done in the parking lot of Marsh Supermarket, Warsaw.
Feed The Children is a Christian international non-profit relief organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The organization delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack the essentials due to famine, war, poverty and natural disasters.
Feed the Children's wholly-owned subsidiary, FTC Transportation Inc., picks up in-kind contributions from corporate warehouses and brings them to one of six Feed The Children distribution centers. There are distribution centers in Canada, Oklahoma City, Texas, Elkhart, Nashville and New Jersey.
The food distributed Tuesday in Kosciusko County was collected by the distribution centers.
Kosciusko County's unemployment rate increased three points to 14 percent from December to January, making the need for the food and hygiene supplies even greater.
The semi and a tent was set up Wednesday at Marsh Supermarket. The semi was full of boxes with macaroni, cookies, beverages, candy and hygiene items.
Combined Community Services, Our Father's House, Helping Hands of Mentone and Silver Lake Food Panty received vouchers that were distributed to people in need of the items.
Food that was leftover was distributed to local food pantries.
There were 400 families in Kosciusko County who were served Tuesday, according to Scott Tuttle, a volunteer who coordinated the food distribution locations.
Other distribution areas included Wakarusa, Nappanee, Topeka, Bristol, Elkhart, Goshen and Middlebury. Churches in the areas worked to distribute the items.
Lewis Jones, Combined Community Services executive director, said CCS gave out 150 vouchers to clients who came into the agency and needed additional food assistance.
"We just appreciate having this today because CCS can help clients out for a couple of days to help them stretch their budgets, and there are a lot of people in need right now," Jones said.
Jones said 150 families are about the number of families CCS can help a week.
Frank Whitaker, Gospel Hill Church pastor, Silver Lake, said the church received 25 vouchers.
"It's great to see people from different organizations and churches come together as one and help the needs of those who are hungry," Whitaker said.
Sue Hickman, family nutrition program assistant with the Kosciusko County Purdue Extension office, said she was pleased with Tuesday's efforts.
"I work with low-income families everyday, and it was great that the community came together today to help others," Hickman said.
Catherine Hatten, Warsaw, stopped by the Marsh parking lot to receive food and hygiene for her family. Hatten said her husband has been laid off a few times and the food will help the family.
