The Fannin County Family Connection (FCFC) Food Pantry will be open one Saturday a month from 10 a.m. until noon starting on September 16. Sherry Morris says, “We saw an opportunity to help more.”
The FCFC Food Pantry served roughly 8,270 families in just the last year. At least 461 of those families were first time visitors to the facility.
Morris, FCFC executive director, says the food pantry gave out 537,301 pounds of food to families in need this past year. With over 23,000 visits total to the food pantry during that time, Morris says that these numbers are the highest they’ve ever been. According to Morris, the food pantry didn’t even reach those levels during Covid-19.
Morris also stresses that Family Connection is much more than a place to get much needed groceries. It is currently the largest community outreach organization in the county.
The Family Connection Center includes additional programs including day services for the unsheltered, a free clothing closet, a library, Internet, job search services, quarterly health services, civic dinner, the Family Care Program, a mental health campaign, and a monthly collaborative Lunch & Learn.
In order to begin receiving services provided by Family Connection, Morris says all that is needed is a valid government ID and proof of county residence.
She says that an estimated 16% of all of the visitors they’ve served are from east Polk County, Tennessee. She says that the food pantry serves East Polk residents all the way up to Farner, Tennessee.
Families with children can visit the Food Pantry every 21 days, while families without children can visit every 30 days.
The Fannin County Family Connection center is located at 501 Fannin Industrial Park, in Blue Ridge behind Animal Control.