Summer program serves over 47,500 meals

  • The Volunteer Group that served the Summer Meals Program included from left, back row, Sylvia Goodyear, Margaret Warner, Mack Campbell, Gary Treater, Bob Barnette, and Nick Rebbe; middle row, Gail Dufresne, Marty Kyanka, Lori Barris, Joanne Campbell, Jayne Treater, Lorah Hubbard, Debby Beck, and Thomas Gray; and, front row, Evelyn Murray, Emily Smith, Laura Hughes, Katherine Bailey.
    The Volunteer Group that served the Summer Meals Program included from left, back row, Sylvia Goodyear, Margaret Warner, Mack Campbell, Gary Treater, Bob Barnette, and Nick Rebbe; middle row, Gail Dufresne, Marty Kyanka, Lori Barris, Joanne Campbell, Jayne Treater, Lorah Hubbard, Debby Beck, and Thomas Gray; and, front row, Evelyn Murray, Emily Smith, Laura Hughes, Katherine Bailey.
  • The Family Meals Team that served the Summer Meals Program included, from left, back row, Bill Echelberger, Gordon Riddoch, Russ Peiffer, and Tom MacDonald; and, front row, Margaret Warner, Mary Langford, Victoria Turner, Ben Hughes, Barbara Hughes, Kim Strube, and Zac Meaders.
    The Family Meals Team that served the Summer Meals Program included, from left, back row, Bill Echelberger, Gordon Riddoch, Russ Peiffer, and Tom MacDonald; and, front row, Margaret Warner, Mary Langford, Victoria Turner, Ben Hughes, Barbara Hughes, Kim Strube, and Zac Meaders.
  • The Delivery Team that served the Summer Meals Program included, from left, Sylvia Goodyear, Summer Meals coordinator; Gary Treater, Greg Norton, Debby Beck, and Jayne Treater.
    The Delivery Team that served the Summer Meals Program included, from left, Sylvia Goodyear, Summer Meals coordinator; Gary Treater, Greg Norton, Debby Beck, and Jayne Treater.

    Over 47,500 meals were served by volunteers and fully funded by the community during this year’s Summer Meals Program.

    Representatives of Faith Presbyterian Church, Fannin County Family Connection, Feed Fannin, Snack in a Backpack, and St. Luke’s Anglican Episcopal Church came together to coordinate the event to provide a free meal for Fannin County children in need.

    More than 100 volunteers worked for eight weeks to serve the 380 children and their families served by the program every week. The meals were provided in June and July.

    Deby Beck, executive director of Snack in a Backpack, said, “The Summer Meals Program is made possible by loyal and generous donors and volunteers from the community.” She called seeing the efforts of volunteers, who showed up rain or shine to serve the children, “an inspiration.”

    Every week, volunteers would unload and the sort food, pack bags headed to children and families, then load the food into vehicles and take it to the children and families in need.

    Children’s bags included snacks and meal options while family bags contained pantry staples and fresh produce for a family of four.

    “From the bottom of our hearts, we say a big thank you to everyone who helped make the Summer Meals Program a success,” Beck said.