Community Food Connection of Blount County

Official Grand Opening / Ribbon Cutting - July 17th 3pm

2010-07-15T12:51:00.000-04:00

The Blount County community is cordially invited to attend the official grand opening/ribbon cutting for the new location of the Food Connection on Saturday, July 17 from 3:00 to 4:30PM. The new space is located at 311 Whitecrest Drive, Maryville. The keynote speaker will be Congressman Jimmy Duncan and the building ...will officially be dedicated to Donna Landgren. Dean Moss - President

Postal Service aims to stamp out hunger

2010-05-09T08:28:00.000-04:00

Great article about the Postal Food Drive!

Postal Service aims to stamp out hunger

Welcome to a new location!

2010-05-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

This week, the CFC officially moved into the new location - 311 Whitecrest Drive.
See the great article in The Blount Today

Photo by Jolanda Jansma
Bill Phillips, left, and Larry Ladd with Community Food Connection of Blount County talk about the commercial space Phillips and his wife Gwen are giving to the CFC. The location is a 311 Whiteside Drive, Maryville, adjacent to Rhea’s Diving. There are too many people to thank individually so I have to say "Thanks to Everyone!" for making this dream come true. The new space is wonderful. It has a large door so pallets of food can be brought in.

This Saturday is the yearly Postal Drive for the Food Connection. We get LOTS of food all at once, which leads to LOTS of sorting and stacking. If anyone is available to help do any of that this weekend, drop by the new location anytime from 2-5 PM on Saturday afternoon. Help is also needed from 1-5 PM on Sunday so that would be another option. They would love to have any help - there will be lots to do.

A new building for the Food Connection???

2010-03-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

God works in mysterious ways. As you may know, the Food Connection has been looking at new building options for several months. The current building has served well but has always had limitations - space, parking, etc. There have been several news articles and a concentrated effort by Larry Ladd to raise funds for a new building. Then, God does something wonderful and provides for our needs. Recently, a building owner offered the use... at no charge... for a wonderful location. The BOD is currently reviewing all the aspects of this great offer. Please continue to pray that all the details are smooth and the Food Connection can be in this new location soon. To God be the Glory!

Blount Co. food bank needs more space

2010-02-18T12:35:00.000-05:00

Blount Co. food bank needs more space

Great information from WVLT about the Building Fund!

Bigger building is needed by Community Food Connection

2010-02-18T12:28:00.000-05:00

Great article in The Daily Times about the fundraising drive for a larger building.

"Larry Ladd, special projects director for CFC, said the Food Connection board did not want to use money from the food account for the building. The shoe boxes are a way to collect for the building fund through tax-deductible donations while raising awareness about CFC.

The shoe box campaign is the first phase of the fundraising effort. The initial goal is to raise around $3,000. The second phase will involve corporate donations. The building fund will need close to $20,000 to cover the move, including new equipment, computer and a doubling of the rent currently being paid.

Ladd said all money donated to CFC goes toward client services.

To contribute, send a donation to Community Food Connection of Blount County, P.O. Box 786, Alcoa, TN 37701. Designate it for the building fund."

http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100218/OP01/302189968/-1/RSS10&rssfeed=RSS10

Drawings for the Food Connection

2009-09-07T20:49:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, Pastor Larry Carroll at First UMC - Maryville was talking about our food drive as part of "Open House" month. I asked my kids, Katie and Preston (both 9), to color some pics that might inspire people to give. As soon as I told them I would put them on the website, their eyes lit up! Katie and Preston both worked at the Food Connection a few weeks ago and they both loved it. I hope they continue to love to serve others. I hope you enjoy the drawings!

Postal Worker's Food Drive - WOW!!!

2009-05-12T09:06:00.002-04:00

A rainy day! What a rainy day! The skies were dark and the first few reports did not look good. As the day progressed the Community Food Connection was blessed, really blessed! The Postal Workers and the more than 130 volunteers following them picking up food collected more than 49000 pounds of food! WOW!! The store is full! The shelves are full! Much sorting remains to be done! Many will be fed, many will be blessed! Blount County stepped up once again and gave more than anyone expected!

Times are tough. The clients at the CFC continue to increase. Even so, with such tremendous community support the board of the CFC moves forth in faith and continues to "Feed the Hungry in Blount County"

It is with deep appreciation and wonder that we say thanks to the Postal Worker's, the volunteers and of course this gracious community for their trust and support.

Article from "Blount Today"

2009-03-19T21:22:00.003-04:00

Check out the article from "Blount Today"

http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2009/mar/19/can-do-blount/

Thanks to all the volunteers and donors who made the Food Drive such a success.

Special thanks to Larry Ladd who organized and led the drive!

Community Food Connection of Blount County Receives Gift from Food Lion

2009-01-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

The Community Food Connection of Blount County, Inc., has received $2,500 from the Food Lion Charitable Foundation. The Community Food Connection will use the gift to supply emergency food to those in need.
“This generous gift from Food Lion will be of great assistance in helping the hungry in our county” said Lisa Blackwood, Board Member of the Community Food Connection.
“It illustrates that Food Lion is fully committed to making our county a better place to live. Because of Food Lion’s generosity, many more people will be helped to have food during these trying times. Our organization, consisting of only volunteers, has been furnishing food for the needy of Blount County since 1991.”
Established in 2001, the Food Lion Charitable Foundation provides financial support for programs and organizations dedicated to improving the communities in which Food Lion operates.
The Foundation places an emphasis on the support of primary and secondary education, feeding the hungry, and organizations that enhance the quality of life in Food Lion’s local communities.
Food Lion LLC is a subsidiary of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG). Food Lion LLC operates more than 1,300 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys and Reid’s. These stores meet local customer needs and preferences for the freshest and best quality products. Food Lion LLC employs approximately 73,000 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

January news

2009-01-31T10:47:00.002-05:00

January has been a quiet month of sorts...... a small decline in clients, bad weather, fewer monetary donations and less food donated as well. All expected in the first month of the year. Even a small decline in clients does not indicate that lots of food is not going out the door! The shelves are beginning to show the first of the year "bareness" and no food that comes in the door stays long. Ordering and buying has begun already.... oatmeal, rice, beans.... staples for our clients. The board is planning for renewed leadership, for a move to a more suitable location and for whatever the new economy might present. Your prayers, your strength and your help are coveted. We are still "feeding the hungry" and it will take all of us to continue that mission!

Souper Bowl of Caring - Feb 1

2009-01-25T21:14:00.002-05:00

Below is an informational video about the Souper Bowl of Caring which takes place every year on Super Bowl Sunday. This is the 20th year. The money collected stays local. If your church is participating, please give generously! Peace!

More Than a FEW!

2008-11-25T16:13:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday, there was a crowd. More than 160 families received food. Our stockers, baggers and greeters had a difficult time keeping up. In 4 short hours the CFC staff had served more than on any other day since our beginning. We knew things were tough and we knew that this season would bring new families in need.

HOWEVER.... we had no idea what was to come. Yesterday, Monday November 24th 217 families were served. That number represents almost one family during every minute the CFC was open. Our volunteers struggled to keep up. A mid-day stocking was required. 4 volunteers were working the store side and others were working on the "warehouse side" sorting and shelving food from the recent Blount Memorial Hospital Employee's Food Drive.

With only 6 possible parking spaces it is hard to imagine how this many cars, families and people were served without a mishap. Only by the grace of God and many loving volunteers who love to share their faith and their service through helping others allows the CFC to stay open.

We live in a great community that pulls together and lends a helping hand. The board of the CFC is undergoing changes and we need more help. Every team needs more help. Please pray for wisdom and for the hearts of loving servants to be called into action!

Enjoy a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving! We all have much to be thankful for!

Overwhelmed and Thankful!

2008-11-13T14:06:00.003-05:00

Whew! What a weekend! Larry Ladd and his trusty volunteers spent an entire weekend speaking with customers, hauling food and handing out information about the Community Food Connection at the Food City in West Maryville. More than 40 volunteers worked over that 24 - 30 hour period at the grocery store. Many others hauled food back to the CFC and others began the sorting. Payoff you might ask? Almost 20,000 pounds of food was collected! WOW! What a tremendous blessing!! Money was also collected.

This is backbreaking work. It takes time. It was beautiful weather, but chilly. Still, the citizens of Blount County came together to help those in need.

Thanks to all those who gave. Thanks to all those who served. Thanks be to the One who blesses us when we aren't expecting an overflowing cupboard. Thanksgiving came early this year....... Amen.

Trick or Cans? Definitely CANS!

2008-11-05T08:12:00.004-05:00

Trick or Cans? Definitely CANS!

What a great night! Actually 2 nights. The Maryville College Fighting Scots collected food on Thursday evening October 30th in the historic district near their campus.... great job! Adding to that drive were the "Trick or Cans" teams collecting on Halloween night in many neighborhoods around Maryville. Total collected and delivered to the CFC... 10000 cans! WOW! What a great blessing!

The youth who collected food on Halloween were found in many creative costumes.... Sarah Palin, a killer ballerina, Juno, characters from the Rocky Horror Picture Show and many more. Of course some volunteers wore the traditional Trick or Cans tee-shirt. Youth groups, clubs and individuals brought their food to the New Providence Presbyterian parking lot where they gathered to laugh, share snacks and count cans. What a great effort!

This year the team leaders were Scott McAmis, Michae Musick and Sarah Delozier (who will be taking over next fall). The board of directors expresses their deep gratitude for a job well done. Many hungry folks in Blount County will be helped in the days to come by the generosity of the community. As the woes of lay offs, sluggish economy and other life factors affect the families of Blount County the number of families needing help increases. Every single food drive and donation make a difference for someone in need.

Thank you Trick or Cans!

Week End Food Drives Well Received

2008-10-26T17:46:00.003-04:00

The Heritage Sunday School Class from First United Methodist Church of Maryville has come up with a great plan. Under the direction and persistence of Larry Ladd a wonderful wooden bin was built, painted (thanks Lynn & friends) and put into action! The first weekend the bin was left at the Alcoa WalMart with some supervision..... and much food was collected. Yeah!! Looked like a successful plan was born.

This weekend Larry and friends from the Heritage Sunday School class, the Challenger's Sunday School class and Boy Scouts from Pack 81 took on another challenge. This time the bin and both entrances of the Maryville WalMart were staffed with volunteers all day. Small fliers were handed out to all shoppers and the bins and baskets filled up - over and over! Several thousand pounds of food were collected!

WOW!! The shelves have gone from virtually bare (even though several palettes of food were just purchased) to looking good. Tuna and peanut butter are making a comeback as is cereal. Even some fruit was found among the cans.... a long lost item on the shelves!

The numbers of new clients and returning clients is climbing every single day. The average day has gone from 75 0r 80 families to over 125 families... often more than 130. Every single can is a blessing.

At the end of this week Trick or Cans will bring even more food in to be sorted, shelved and readied for distribution. Just when things look bleak we are once again blessed!

Many thanks are due as we look at the activities producing food for the CFC! We thank Maryville First United Methodist Church, especially Larry Ladd and Ted Kirkman, the Boy Scouts and a special board member, Frank Rutherford who has graciously overseen the "store" part of the operation this weekend.

Real teamwork is necessary to feed so many hungry people. Looking for a place to serve.... serve with your time, your money or your prayers! You too will be blessed.

Halting Hunger at Home!

2008-10-07T08:47:00.003-04:00

Maryville High School and William Blount High School came together for their fall football game at the end of September. In addition to a little football they worked together to "Halt Hunger at Home". During the week each school collected food and money for the Community Food Connection. There was no rivalry, just a collaborative effort to help others in need. More than 1500 pounds of food was collected and over $700.00! WOW!

Many families will be helped by this effort. the CFC wants to thank the JrROTC at William Blount and the National Honor society at MHS for their efforts! Thanks for working together to make a difference!

Thank you Ruby Tuesday!

2008-10-07T08:46:00.002-04:00

During a week in September, the International Ruby Tuesday Restaurant chain headquartered in Maryville, TN, had an inner-office food drive for CFC.

Everyone outdid themselves, filling boxes and boxes with much needed canned and dry food goods. In all, 500 lbs of food came in!

The team only asked us what, where to deliver and when would be a good time for the drive. THANK YOU RUBY TUESDAY FOLKS!

Prayers Are Answered!

2008-09-17T19:20:00.005-04:00

The Board of Directors has been holding their breath and saying a lot of prayers around the CFC these past 2 months. Food donations were very low and money in the bank was even lower! And with no hesitation we can say that our client need is increasing with each passing day! A normal day at the CFC would bring about 75 - 85households in asking for food. Over the last 2 months that number has grown to more than 100 almost every single day with a few days surpassing 130 families asking for food.

Tough decisions have been made and the food being distributed was reduced so that everyone would have some food. A few very dedicated local churches continued to bring food in each week and kept things rolling. Then something happened.... a new volunteer (Larry Ladd) came in with some new ideas. One weekend every month the CFC will man a traveling bin at a different grocery store. Volunteers will hand out info on the CFC and as shoppers exit they can drop cans into the bin. Last weekend (Sept. 12 - 14) was the first run and we had great success! Shoppers filled that bin at the Alcoa Wal-Mart! WOW! Great canned food was donated! Meanwhile the Maryville Wal_Mart had also allowed another pre-scheduled and planned food drive sponsored by the Lutheran Men! Another big success! More food!

And also in process is the Maryville High School/William Blount High School food drive... "Halt Hunger at Home".... MHS drive is being sponsored by the National Honor Society. the William Blount drive is being sponsored by ROTC. Food will be collected all week at both schools and also at the gate of the Friday game. MHS will ask students to bring food not only during the week but also as admission to the Pep Rally on Friday. The class that brings the most food will be given the spirit award!

Looks like more food is on the way! What a tremendous blessing! With the price of gasoline, recent lay offs in the community and utility needs at an all time high, people need our help!

Coming to the game? Bring canned food.

One last thought... halloween is on the way and there will be another canned food drive. In it's 11th year "Trick or Cans" will once again come to many neighborhoods. Youth from all over the county will be collecting canned and staple foods to be donated to the Communitiy Food Connection. Have several cans ready and help us "FEED THE HUNGRY IN BLOUNT COUNTY"!

The pictures you see are of the food coming in from this past weekend. Look at those carts.. full and overflowing. Thanks to all those who donated, sorted, shelved, delivered and prayed. It takes everyone working together to make things happen!

Turkeys In the Straw!

2008-08-14T16:03:00.003-04:00

It feels strange calling folks "turkeys"... but we at the CFC love the "Turkeys in the Straw"! This talented musical group promised a concert to raise funds and food for the CFC. Last Thursday evening August 7th, they gathered to play at the Blount County Public Library and what a crowd they drew! WOW!! Over 1000 pounds of food was collected and $475.00 was donated as well!

It was a fabulous concert filled with great singing, playing and fun! Everyone there had a great time. Believe it or not - it was Standing Room Only!

The board of the CFC is deeply grateful to the "turkeys" for sharing their talents with us and allowing the story of the CFC to be heard by more people!

School is back in session and food drives are being planned during football and basketball seasons. Several local grocery stores will be "hosting hoppers" for you to drop off food.... Remember those who are hungry when you shop. They need to be fed with food and with your concern.

Summer Birthday Fun!

2008-08-14T15:56:00.002-04:00

What a summer! It has been a delightful summer here in Blount County. Weather has been hot, but we have had our share of rain as well. There have been lots of exciting days at the CFC as we reach out feeding the hungry.

It is a wonderful thing to have a summer birthday! It is even more wonderful to share that birthday with folks you don't know by giving them your gifts! This summer two children decided to share their birthdays with the CFC. Instead of gifts fro themselves, each child asked their party friends to bring food for the CFC. WOW! What a great idea!

Ellie Smith and Philip Tyler had birthday parties that collected food for others. That truly is a gift that passes on a good feeling while helping those in need. We were sorry that we could not secure pictures of these smiling birthday kids, but just the same they will be remembered by many as we reflect on their generosity and outward sharing.

We thank you Ellie and Philip..... thanks for a bright spot in our summer!

Thanks for reminding us that we are to share what we have. What are you celebrating today? How can you reach out to others in need! Have a party!

Thanks DENSO for Peanut Butter!!!

2008-07-21T07:30:00.003-04:00

As summer approached Denso came to the rescue! A grant was received by the CFC for $2000.00 just for peanut butter! What a great idea! As students found themselves at home without those great hot lunches - peanut butter was a superb lunch idea!! How many of us grew up eating peanut butter for lunch!?!! Almost 2000 jars were purchased an as you can see in the photo filled the shelves at least for a while! Thanks Denso... you helped many families over the summer!

Pics from the Postal Food Drive

2008-07-19T13:17:00.014-04:00

I wanted to post some pics from the Postal Food Drive. You can read the actual post at: "What a Wonderful Response"
When you see the pics you might think that the CFC is well stocked. However, the Postal Food Drive was in May! If you have read the posts from June and July you know that demand has been great this summer. We are blessed to live in a county with so many thoughtful neighbors who give to the CFC. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers .... and keep donating food! We always need it!

Where is all that food going!?!! We need your help!

2008-07-10T13:26:00.004-04:00

The last few weeks have passed by so quickly that just over a month has passed since we last posted anything here. Sorry about that! The board met today for some sobering news..... we are serving more people, we spent more than $9500.00 on food in June and we need to decrease the amount of food we are giving to each client. There were truly many sad faces as we realized the immediate solution to a longer term problem. The cost of fuel - well the economy in general is really making it hard for our families. More and more people are coming in and asking for help and we will serve everyone that we possibly can.

The board will be working toward some additional food drives and seeking further grants for money. The amount of food in each bag will be deceased to some degree and we will assess the situation at every board meeting (once per month). It seems that the families we serve are growing in number rapidly and our budget and contributions aren't able to keep up with the demand.

First up is a great program at the Blount County Public Library in August. A local musical group - the "Turkeys in the Straw" will be playing at the library on August 7th at 7:00pm. Admission to hear the great music will be canned food for the CFC! Fantastic! Bring a friend, several cans of food and come on down for the fun!Hopefully we will also be able to host some food drives at one or two of the local grocery stores in the coming weeks as well.

What can you do? Host a food drive in your neighborhood, at your place of employment your church or civic club.... have your bridge club, your yoga class, your supper club - whomever- bring food and of course we will also use monetary donations.

At this time last year we had to make the decision to stop giving bread. We don't want to be faced with making that decision again but at $174.00+ each week it will be considered at the next meeting.

These are hard times for people. Have a little extra food in your cabinet? Bring it in and we will share it with those in need. Help us continue feeding those in need, those who are hungry in Blount County. You will be blessed in the giving.

Food Is Going Fast!

2008-06-06T10:21:00.004-04:00

We had a great Postal Worker's Food Drive... no doubt about it! 38000 pounds of food is absolutely awesome. Meanwhile the economy (are you suffering from the gas prices?) is bringing more and more people to our door asking for food. These folks are families and individuals that are struggling to make ends meet. In several cases we have been told about folks who are now retired and even with Social Security added to their retirement they are struggling to survive these economic woes. New families are coming in record numbers - sometimes as many as 15 new families in one single 4 hour day. On several recent occasions we have served nearly 125 families in a single day.... new records!

As we surveyed the shelves yesterday there was a real sadness that the food thought to last for 7 -8 weeks will not last that long. Peanut butter has been purchased (thanks to a special grant from Denso) and also macaroni and cheese - two staple foods for our families. Canned meats are almost gone and cereal is at a critical level.

The CFC board must decide how we increase our funding and food donations..... we have clients that are in great need and depend on the help they receive from the CFC each month. We need your donations - food or money - and we humbly ask for your prayers as we continue our mission to "Feed the Hungry of Blount County".... a mission that touches each of us as we live in community.

Our mailing address is
CFC
P.O. Box 786
Alcoa, TN 37701

38,000 Pounds!

2008-05-19T17:03:00.002-04:00

WOW! the total is in and it is BIG! Impressive...... the shelves are all filled at least for now and many people will benefit from the wonderful food donated by Blount County residents.

Many people have helped to sort and shelve the food. Volunteers from the community, local churches, the board and the Maryville High School National Honor society have helped to put everything away in record time. Clients are already benefiting from the return to soup and a variety of cereals. Soon there will be pasta packed in every bag and tomato sauce to go with it. Clients are also having the pleasure of choosing one "extra" with each visit.... What is an "extra" you might ask - extras are those interesting items that we never seem to have enough to pack for everyone and often they are not on every one's favorite list. So choosing is a must. It could be olives, or artichokes, sauce mixes or nuts, maybe even some fancy tea or salad dressing. At any rate the clients really enjoy having at least one choice!

The board of the CFC would like to thank everyone who donated food, has worked to sort and shelve and especially the Postal Workers/Letter Carriers that took extra time on their routes to collect food.

At a rate of 1200 - 1600 pounds of food leaving each time the CFC is open this food will last approximately 25 - 28 days. Of course there will be foods purchased to fill in the gaps and round out the menu, but what a magnificent help this food drive has been.

We just keep going..... "Feeding the Hungry of Blount County".... Our mission and such a blessing!

What A Wonderful Response!

2008-05-13T14:30:00.003-04:00

Bags of food are everywhere! They are stacked, piled, and all jumbled up.... filled to the brim with great food! It was almost difficult to walk in there until yesterday afternoon. The Postal Workers and our many volunteers have done an awesome job gathering food for the CFC. The citizens of Blount county have once again donated from their cabinets and hearts. The shelves were getting empty and now they are full once again... at least for the moment. Volunteers are busily reporting daily to sort, shelve and say thanks for the generous donations of food. Each food drive has a personality all it's own and the theme of this drive is "dry food". Dry food consists of all those pastas, rice, dried beans, jellos, oatmeal, etc. items that have a great shelf life and are loved by our clients! We are thrilled to see that soup has made a return to our shelves.... missing for several weeks. Once again we have an ample supply of tuna and even cereal (another dry item). That is the good news! Grateful to the postal service (in every configuration) - absolutely! Grateful to all the volunteers that followed postal workers (letter carriers) around to pick up food and bring it to the CFC - absolutely. Simply overwhelmed.... that is a great description.

The other side of the story is that our client base is growing by leaps and bounds. More than 25 new clients signed up in the last two operating days and with the cost of gas and food it is almost certain that this trend will continue. Will the demand exceed our ability to help feed the hungry? That can only be answered by this great community..... will the community continue to support and provide for the needs of others? We believe our mission will continue and Blount County will continue to step up to the challenge.

There is more to the story.... we will have more details including the total weight from the food drive in an upcoming blog..... once again the blessings keep coming! Thanks be to God!

Welcome May!

2008-05-02T15:34:00.007-04:00

May is a great month.... why you might ask? May is the month when the Letter Carriers join together for the annual "Help Us Stamp Out Hunger" food drive! The CFC benefits in a big way as the Maryville, Blount County (rural) and surrounding area letter carriers spend the day collecting food. How much food? No one knows in advance but have received as much as 50,000 through this food drive. Bags or reminder post cards will be delivered to each household on the letter carrier's route in advance. Participants are asked to have their food placed at the mailbox by 9:00 am on May 10th. Letter carriers and numerous volunteers will be traveling together to pick up the food and deliver it to the Community Food Connection. Once they arrive at the CFC they will be sorted and shelved for distribution. Team Leaders for this worthy and beneficial project are John and Ferrel Smith. Thanks Smiths!

Because it has been necessary to purchase so much food this year (over $20,000.00 already) the board is especially thankful for the prospect of a great food drive! Even with all those purchases the shelves are beginning to look bare. With the soft economy we find that the number of clients is steadily growing. There are lots of people in need in Blount County!

So, don't forget! Saturday May 10th. Put a bag of canned or staple foods beside your mailbox for pick up. If that is inconvenient, take it to the CFC or to the post office. Be a part of the solution and "Help Us Stamp Out Hunger!"

A little news....

2008-04-11T07:36:00.002-04:00

Things at the Community Food Connection are buzzing right along. March brought us a record number of clients and the need to purchase food yet again. Now that April has arrived another food purchase has been necessary. We are looking forward to the May Postal Worker's Food Drive with much anticipation!

This month two new board members were welcomed and the search continues for at least two more. An Open House is planned for our many contributors and agencies that work with the CFC throughout the year. The Open House will be held on Tuesday April 29th from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. The board is quickly trying to get things in order to welcome our guests. It will be a great way to show our "Friends' just how donations are put to good use. Even the front door has been painted (thanks Lynn!) to make things even more welcoming.

As the job market in Blount County shifts the CFC finds new clients need help each and every month. Food supplies are tight and much of our food budget for the year has already been spent. More food drives are needed.

The CFC has been most blessed to receive FEMA funds for the first time. Those have not yet been deposited and there will be extra paper work involved but the board is most grateful to be trusted in this process.

Remember us when you go to the grocery..... a few extra cans will make a difference to another family. Please help the CFC to feed the hungry in Blount county.

District Project Benefits the CFC

2008-03-14T10:55:00.003-04:00

The Maryville District of the United Methodist Church sponsored a project for 17 of the more than 60 churches in this area. Each church was asked to encourage their members to bring in kits including rice, dried beans, canned tomatoes, tuna, and ham to be shared with the Food Connection. Bring it in they did! This morning more than 1200 pounds of food was delivered to the CFC from this drive. 200 pounds had already been delivered! These foods will certainly help feed the clients in the coming weeks. Our genuine appreciation goes to all those churches that participated and shared with others. Thanks Maryville District!

"March"ing Forward!

2008-03-05T09:07:00.003-05:00

March has arrived and brought with it blustery winds and rain. March has also brought the CFC many new clients, lots of opportunities to tell the story and lots of peanut butter! YEAH! The word is out and donations are going well. Peanut butter seems to be coming in from several different donors and it is a welcomed sight! Soup and fruit supplies are getting low as are the shelves for macaroni and cheese. We have been blessed lately with great foods from Second Harvest including frozen burritos... a treat for our clients.

As we pause to reflect on the last few months we find ourselves grateful more and more often for the wonderful storage shelves provided by Brendan Wood. These shelves have helped with storage but even more they have enabled our daily volunteers to assist with sorting, shelving and distribution. Organization has allowed the board to manage the stock so much more easily and efficiently. Rotating the stock is much less of an issue than it once was.

There is much to be thankful for in these days... there is bread to share each day, volunteers seem to be content and the board continues to plan strategies for "feeding the hungry". You are invited to be a part of this wonderful ministry!

Thanks Ladies!

2008-02-21T09:05:00.002-05:00

The Jr. Chilhowee Club (GFWC) sent several members to learn about the CFC on this past Tuesday evening. Along with time to learn our story, they sorted and shelved at least 500 pounds of food. Much of the food was from the "Scouting for Food" drive, but these great ladies also brought lots of canned fruit! Yeah! Our fruit shelves were almost empty so this was a special treat!

The CFC is being recognized more and more in Blount County. In the next few weeks speakers are being provided for the Maryville Friends mission dinner, Green Meadow United Methodist Church, Broadway United Methodist Church and Logan's Chapel United Methodist Church. Recenlty speakers have presented information at Civitan of Maryville and Kiwanis of Maryville as well. This is a most beneficial way of telling the story and presenting the need to assist the hungry in our community.

Thanks for all those who have invited us and for those who have responded. Our mission continues.

Scouting for Food Most Successful!

2008-02-13T14:35:00.002-05:00

Once again the Boy Scouts from Troop 81 (Maryville First United Methodist Church) came through! The "Scouting for Food" drive held over the first 2 Saturdays in February netted a whopping 216 bags of food..... bags filled with lots of great food! As the scouts and their leaders were unloading the food every shopping cart, storage bin and even a few tables and skids were filled. WOW!! Great job everyone! It makes Saturday an exciting day when food comes in with so much help and enthusiasm!

Early next week the members of the local GFWC club, Jr. Chilhowee, will have their monthly meeting at the CFC and will complete the sorting and shelving of this food! It is great to have new groups come and help!

Meanwhile donations from Logan's Chapel United Methodist Church, Maryville, First United Methodist Church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic church and Peck's Memorial United Methodist Church have been delivered and are sorted and ready to use.

The weather this morning.... sleet, snow and rain did not hamper clients from coming in for food. When the CFC opened at 10:00am cars were waiting. We have added an answering machine to help when the CFC is closed and are finding messages on it almost every day. We have also created an email address just for the CFC... it is communityfoodconnection@gmail.com This is a great way to get in touch with board members, get information, etc.

We live in a great community, filledm with generous folks! Thanks for entrusting the CFC to assist in "feeding the hungry of Blount County".

Food Purchasing a Must!

2008-02-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

The first month of 2008 has been a big month. We spent nearly $5000.00 buying staple foods (mac and cheese, green beans, corn, oatmeal, and pinto beans). We barely turned around and found the shelves were almost empty again! Good grief! Fortunately there had been several donations made over the holidays and just at the end of the year.... so off to the store we go again.... and another $5000.00 is spent. This week more green beans, more corn, more oatmeal and more mac and cheese were purchsed. With absolutely no canned meats on the storage shelves we were also able to purchase canned tuna.... a great source of protein! We were excited to be able to negotiate a good price. While we had been out of yet another major staple food (peanut butter)our shopper had been checking prices for that everywhere. Miraculously, while picking up some of the food this week a great deal was found and further negoitated and we were able to purchase some pb as well. WOW!!

With tomorrow being "Souper Bowl" Sunday we are hoping that local churches and groups will do their part donating soup. Our current supply of soup is nearly gone. As a general rule soup is the one thing we NEVER run out of.... but we are well on on way! No matter your preference for the winning team, be sure to take your soup to church or wherever you see a display!

Re-registering has gone so well over the last few weeks. Some families have added household members (some families have begun to move with other families to save money and others have decreased in size as older children, now adults have moved out and into places of their own). Our numbers of client families helped seems to continue to rise a little a at time. The colder weather and rain (yes, we are glad to have it!) have created stress for some families.

We continue to be blessed to be able to give bread to all families. They are so appreciative and love having the ability to make choices (we have a variety of bread choices).

We begin the year on a positive note. We hope that our community remains faithful in food and monetary donations as we seek to feed the hungry of Blount County.

We hope that you will be a part of that feeding.....

Off and Running.....

2008-01-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

The year 2008 is here and things are very busy at the CFC! We have been open only 6 days since the new year began and already we have registered or "re-registered" (verified all information about established clients) more than 450 clients. The cold weather, the economy and all those utility bills are making life a little more difficult for our friends in need of food.

We promised that we would share our statistics for the year 2007 when they were gathered and that is the plan for today.

In the year 2007:
We served 19,544 families or 29568 individuals

The CFC was open 149 days. (4 hours each day)

We welcomed 745 new families, serving an average of 70+ families each day

Our income for the year was $49,737.33 (donations from various civic and religious groups, individual gifts and some corporate gifts)

$14,087.26 was spent on non-food items (rent, supplies, insurance, phones, etc)

$31,080.77 was spent directly on food.

222,991 pounds of food were donated by the good citizens of Blount County through churches, civic organizations, food drives and individuals.

Over the year 254,072 pounds of food was distributed.

What a blessing to serve so many! No one is ever charged for food and no money is accepted from our clients for their food in any way.

We thank this community for their generous support and continued involvement in the CFC.

Post Holiday Needs

2008-01-02T07:37:00.001-05:00

The Christmas season has come and gone..... but not the feeling of sharing and love that it leaves in our hearts! As we survey the CFC this week we find it is time once again to "renew the registrations" of our clients and to order food. And we do mean ORDER FOOD! These last few weeks have taken a toll on the supply! We are faced with ordering green veggies, yellow veggies, cereal or oatmeal and mac/cheese. YIKES!!! The shelves are looking very empty! $5000.00 will be gone in a heartbeat! We are grateful to our holiday and end of year donors for their generous gifts. Hopefully these gifts will carry us through the next few months. With the Blount County Food Pantry moving to the county (west) our numbers are expected to increase. Very soon we will have an end of year report and the annual statistics will be shared with you.... they are amazing!

What can YOU do? Sponsor a food drive, tell someone else about this blog or about the CFC, invite us to speak at your civic club or other organization, be in prayer for the CFC or donate funds. Volunteers are always needed as well. Mostly volunteers are needed when there is a large drive and there is much sorting to be done, but there are also other volunteer opportunities.

Our mission is to feed the hungry of Blount County and we can only keep moving forward through donations of food, money and support from the community. There are lots of hungry people out there. Share your resources to help those in need! What a blessing for all!

Children Bring Smiles!

2008-01-02T07:27:00.000-05:00

The last two weeks have been a blur! With Christmas and New Years Day now behind us... at least on the calendar.... there are two stories that need to be told! One young lady, age 9, had a birthday party. Did she ask for gifts? Not Noelle..... Noelle chose instead to ask her guests to bring food for the Community Food Connection. They did! Noelle and her family delivered their food to the CFC just before Christmas...... there were quite a few bags of food and what great food it was! There was meat, peanut butter, mac/cheese and lots of veggies. What a great idea! What a wonderful young lady to think of others instead of herself. She is a beautiful young lady - inside and out! Thank you Noelle! What a blessing to know you and to share in your generous offering!

The day following Christmas was another great day..... Logan's Chapel United Methodist Church brings food to the CFC almost every week. Mr. Lynn is dedicated and always brings in the food with a smile and a helping hand! On the day following Christmas Mr Lynn showed up with more food than usual - more than 300 pounds. Most of the food came in decorated paper bags. Each bag lovingly decorated by a child. They were so cute and a few were still in good enough shape to be passed along to our clients. A great lesson of sharing and caring has been shared with these young children. Thanks Logan's Chapel for setting such a great example for these young people.

Thanksgiving Continues

2007-12-11T07:17:00.000-05:00

It's true.... life has moved on, winter is approaching and most of the population is caught up in the Christmas season, but the Community Food Connection is still caught up in a time of Thanksgiving! Since the week of Thanksgiving nearly 30,000 pounds of food has been donated to the CFC. Amazing! At a time when many food distribution centers are struggling and the economy causes us to count our very pennies, the CFC has been blessed with lots of food. That is the great news! All of that food has been sorted and shelved and is being given away now.

We have great shoppers that go to Second Harvest every week to participate in the treasure hunt.... we never know what they might bring back, but we do know it will be just the right foods to carry us through!

When the store opened on Monday we looked around and wondered how all that food could disappear so quickly and if the next few weeks would find us struggling and "begging" again. The warehouse looked rather sad and approaching low. Putting that aside while we opened the doors, we found our clients in great moods and grateful for their food. The mood was better as the day went along. Bread was delivered (what a difference a fresh loaf of bread makes!) and then it happened! First the Christian Trendsetters Class from Maryville FUMC brought food from their Christmas party (thanks Barry), then Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church (thanks Ruth) brought in 36bags of food and Third Street Baptist Church (thanks guys) sent food.... lots of food.... not one, not two but three truck loads of food (that means about 3600 pounds if you are wondering). Just when our minds had been wondering where the next load of food might come from - here it is!!

Wonder where that food goes? Here are a few statistics for you. Between November 1st and December 1st the CFC was open 13 days (4 hours per day). During that time 1096 (nearly 3000 individuals are represented in that number) families came in to receive food. Of those 1096 families, 180 families came in 2 times during the month. There were 73 new families served in that time period and 83 bags for families of 6 or more were given out. That is a lot of food! In any given week around 2500 pounds of food are distributed.

Now we all know where that food goes! November was also a great month for monetary donations. We know that we are facing leaner times in the winter months and with these donations there will be the means to purchase food needed to serve our clients.

The board members of the CFC are most grateful and appreciate the way Blount County has supported our efforts to feed the hungry of this community. Your donations of food, money and especially your offering of prayers are genuinely needed and appreciated. We have the best volunteers around and they are dedicated to this mission. What a blessing to serve with so many wonderful folks!

The Community Gives Thanks!

2007-11-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

During the week of Thanksgiving two Blount County communities showed their gratitude through worship for the many blessings we all share. In traditional Thanksgiving worship services the Alcoa and Maryville communities gave thanks, worshipped and received offerings to share with the CFC. The Blount County Ecumenical Action Council and several local churches gathered for the Maryville service. Through their offering the CFC was blessed not only with almost $350.00 but also with many cans of staple foods.

First Baptist of Alcoa, Praise Temple Assembly of God, Green Meadow Church of God, Armona Baptist Church and Alcoa First United Methodist Church gathered to worship in the new sanctuary at Alcoa FUMC for their Thanksgiving service. More than $828.00 was collected and donated to the CFC.

Combined more than one thousand dollars was shared with the CFC. These funds will be used to buy food and help feed hungry people in these very communities. What a special way to acknowledge Thanksgiving and our many blessings.

The board of the CFC is thankful for these generous gifts.

Brownies to the Rescue

2007-11-26T08:01:00.001-05:00

Food, food was everywhere........ there was so much food to be sorted that overwhelming seems an apt description. So who else should step in but a Brownie troop looking for some service hours!?!! We had a wonderful three Tuesday evenings with these young ladies, their troop leaders, a couple of Moms and even a sibling or two. They worked so hard. In a flash the floor was empty, the donation bin was empty and most of the grocery carts had also been emptied! The food was sorted and most stored on the shelves. WOW! Who would have guessed that a small Brownie troop (#985) would, much less could work so fast! The Brownie Girl Scouts who served during the Tuesdays at the CFC: Kelsey, (mom Kimberly and brother, Kevin), Jennifer (and mom Diane), Emily, Paige (mother Melissa and sister, Caroline), and Kimmel (mom Michele and sister, Hadley).

The day before Thanksgiving was another big day for the CFC. Lots of clients showed up to stock their pantries before the Thanksgiving holiday and family get togethers. In the last three days of being open everyone has been kept busy stocking, sorting, packing, serving clients and generally helping out in every way imaginable.

Now that the Christmas season is officially underway lines will be longer everywhere (including the CFC), patience will be thin and tensions will be high. Our goal at the CFC is to share the warmth and love of the holidays with each and every client and to take the time necessary to treat our clients with dignity and grace. For the moment we have plenty of food to share and share we will. We look to our community to help us continue the process of giving by their generous gifts and offers to serve. The CFC serves so many families in our community. Come be a part of serving others! You will be blessed in many ways!

Food, Glorious Food!

2007-11-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

WOW! We just don't know how to put it into words! The last few days have been amazing!! The bad news...... well there was a little flood in the "warehouse" (really just one side of the building) last Thursday. To make that just a little more exciting, we were preparing for a BIG food drive sponsored by the employees of Blount Memorial Hospital. The food was scheduled to be picked up and delivered at the warehouse on Friday..... Yikes! Board members and our landlord stepped in to "save the day" and a professional company was hired to clean up the water and dry things out so that the food drive could go on! Great job everyone!

We don't have a final count yet of the poundage from the BMH food drive just yet, but we know it was more than 6000 pounds and more than $700.00 was also donated! The food looks great! Lots of peanut butter, canned meats, baby food, veggies, and dry goods. Foods that will really help feed our clients well! We know that different departments from the hospital were competing against each other but we aren't sure just which department won yet. The Springbrook Wellness Center also participated! Lots of people and lots of food!

The weekend was just beginning! On Saturday Dr. Watt's Chiropractic Clinic brought in 93 bags of food collected from patients in lieu of their charge for the day! Fabulous! What a great blessing and such an awesome gift for the CFC! ......... And still the weekend rolled on...... there was a surprise visit (we are still trying to figure out who the donor was) from a truck (that means around 1200 pounds) filled with food.

Sunday seemed to be a good day for the churches who regularly donate foods. On Monday Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church donated 46 bags of food and Logan's Chapel United Methodist brought in quite a few pounds as well. There may have been others and after checking the donation book we will update you on those.

Whew! By Monday at Noon we had made a little headway sorting and shelving these wonderful foods and you could almost see the floor again! Grocery carts and tabletops were completely full and there was much left to be done. BUT food drives were still underway! Foothills Elementary School collected and sent in 1400 pounds of food! Hooray! Middlesettlements Elementary Schools sent in 50 boxes and 25 bags of food! Applause, applause!

Just when you thought there could be no more food, a friend showed up. Of course he was drafted to help sort and make order! When he realized that while we were still giving out turkey and fixings we had run out of pumpkin - off he went to talk with his neighbor and his wife. Pumpkin to the rescue! Our Wednesday clients will not be left out of the pumpkin part of their Thanksgiving extras! Thanks! You know who you are!

Once again, a reminder that we live in one of the best communities ever! There is much to do, food to sort, "thank yous" to be written, pounds to add ( I mean like math, not the putting on weight kind) and most of all clients to be served. What a pleasure to work with volunteers who so willingly give their time and energy (it sure takes a lot of that) to make sure that hunger is not overlooked.

This food will last a while, but it is going out at a rapid pace. In the last three days of operation we have seen more than 280 clients. We are guessing that between now and Christmas visits will increase as families feel the pinch of the economy and the holidays. We have made progress and that is great, but there is still much to do and there are still hungry folks out there that need our help.

Keep us in mind as you decide what to do with those last minute charitable donations. It is our mission to feed the hungry and we will remain true to that with our every effort.

More to come as details emerge!

Way to Party!

2007-11-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

How does a class throw a party? First of all, everyone picks a place and decides to get together... sounds fun, right? Then increase the fun by doing something for others.... another great idea! The Heritage Sunday School Class from First United Methodist in Maryville did just that. As they gathered this week for some fellowship every person was to bring some non-perishable food to be shared with the CFC!! On Friday 17 bags and 6 cases of food were delivered as a part of this collection. Corn and beans! Lots of corn and beans were found as well as many other items. We say thank you to the Heritage Class and the leaders who had a great idea and followed through!

Now that this week is through nearly 300 families have received food and been helped. This week they were given green veggies, corn, beans, cranberries, pumpkin or yams, tuna, peanut butter, cereal, mac & cheese, stuffing mix, chicken broth and gravy and most received bread. By early next week everyone will once again be receiving bread each time they come! It has been busy and many volunteers, donors and even a few new interested individuals have been touched by the situation. Blessings in all directions have been shared.

Have you ever been hungry, have you ever wondered how you were going to feed your family, pay the bills and still be able to make it through the month? If you have ever walked that road, remember these folks who travel that path today....... remember that you can make a difference in their journey!

Turkey Time! & Bread News!

2007-11-08T06:29:00.001-05:00

Monday November 5th was a great day! The CFC began giving out Thanksgiving turkeys. Now, let us understand that these are not your normal turkeys, but rather an all white meat turkey roll with gravy. They have been taste tested and declared yummy. Thrivent Financial and the Lutheran Men in Mission are responsible for the purchase of these birds. Our clients are thrilled to be able to prepare their family thanksgiving meal with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin, broth and gravy! Quite a treat! Along with those items everyone is receiving their regular items as well. We thank those who have donated funds so that our client families will be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.

And then there is bread!!!! WOW!!! The community heard and responded to our news that the CFC budget was no longer able to provide bread for our clients. With numerous donations from individuals, churches and community groups we are back in the bread business. The sad news is that bread has increased in price over the last 2 months (yes, that is how long we have gone without giving bread) by 20 cents per loaf. Even with that the board has decided to once again distribute bread. What a major blessing.

The Trick or Cans project brought in some fabulous food to the CFC. All of that is sorted, on the shelves and much is being distributed every day. Blount Memorial Hospital employees are currently involved in a food drive (a friendly competition among departments) and Foothills Elementary is also working on a drive. The CFC board is thankful for every food drive, no matter the size. Every item delivered or picked up helps to feed those in need.

In this season of Thanksgiving, the CFC is thankful to be in such a community as this - a community eager to reach out and help others. Our thanks go to all those who have donated, delivered, picked up, made monetary donations and prayed for us. We are thankful for all those who felt compelled to bring bread back to the "table". The board is thankful and most of all the clients are thankful.

It is a good time to serve..... looking for a place? Give us a call!

Thank you Lanier Elementary Students!

2007-11-02T08:01:00.000-04:00

Who says elementary students can't make a difference!?!! Just this week the CFC received a call that students at Lanier Elementary had been collecting food for the CFC. With just over 600 students this school gave in a big way! 900 items were donated to the CFC this week. Great job! This gracious donation of food came at just the right time! Thanks to all those who worked on this food drive!

Trick or Cans! WOW!

2007-11-02T07:42:00.000-04:00

Halloween evening was just right! The weather was great, not too hot and not too cold.... more than 250 youth from around the community went out Trick or Treating... well, actually "Trick or Canning"! The results were awesome. Trick or Cans brought in more than 8700 pounds of food. They worked really hard, they had a great time and they proved that Blount County is a great place to live.

As they arrived at the parking lot to deliver the "goods" on Halloween night, there was food to enjoy, but the best fun was seeing their peers all dressed up either in their "Trick or Cans" shirts (designed by a student and paid for by sponsors for the evening)or some very creative Halloween costumes. It was a time of laughter and WORK. As teams arrived all food had to be counted and secured in bags, then placed in the rented u-haul for storage until the next morning. This year the teams stretched further than ever with one team going as far east as Seymour and one west as far as Friendsville!

After a great article in The Daily Times, the evening was a big success! Early the next morning (just before 7:30am) 6 of the team members and 2 faithful adults delivered the food to the CFC. Several board members were there to greet and to help carry the food into the CFC. Tables were filled, shelves were filled, shopping carts were filled..... food, food was everywhere! Seeing all that food in one place was amazing! There were cans and boxes, bags and jars, there was food in every possible type of container! By 8:40 the delivery was complete and the students were off to school (Chemistry, History, tests - YIKES!) The board members and several volunteers spent the day "unbagging" all the food, sorting, shelving and storing. By shortly after 5:00 about half of the food was ready for distribution and the other half was properly stored for further sorting. The floor was clear and the CFC is ready for business on Saturday.

What a blessing to have been a part of such a great experience! Those in our community who need an extra helping hand will be blessed for quite some time by these students who have continued "Trick of Cans" through 10 years! BRAVO!!

Surveying the situation!

2007-10-21T12:50:00.000-04:00

A week has passed since the Denso drive, the MHS National Honor Society has worked by further sorting and shelving using the shelving provided by the recent Eagle Scout project. It's amazing how different things look. After talking with some of those who worked a shift serving clients the general consensus is that the new arrangement is a big hit. The flow is much improved and the new table raised to pack bags is at a good height and provides a better surface to work. Among the Denso surprises a large amount of baby food was discovered! The previous supply had almost been depleted, so that is a most welcome discovery. Those jars and containers are being dated and shelved as time allows.

The "warehouse" side of the CFC is being readied for the "Trick or Cans" food drive and plans are being made to take another look at the bread situation. Several folks in the community have expressed their concern and offered to help with the finances. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and cranberries and pumpkin have been saved to pass out during the month of November. Every season is truly a season of Thanksgiving for the CFC. Every day lends an opportunity to help someone and to share in the blessings of this community.

Have you counted your blessings today? Think about it!

Media Blitz

2007-10-09T19:01:00.001-04:00

The Community Food Connection has been blessed with publicity lately.
Here are some links:

Article in "The Daily Times"
Community Food Connection relies on volunteers to feed needy

WATE TV report regarding the affect of the drought on bread:
Rising price of bread affecting local food pantries

AMAZING!! Denso Employees Have Food Drive!

2007-10-09T15:47:00.000-04:00

Amazing! You are faced with a "Morale Building Community Challenge"..... what would it be? Something could be done that would be fun and self-serving.... or you could decide to do something for someone else! That's exactly what Eric Jones and Natasha Hillsman from Denso (Instrument Cluster Division - Plant 201) decided to do. The Associate Relations Department made a bold decision to help others as a team building exercise. The Production and Office Associates from Plant 201 joined in a little healthy competition and planned a food drive. The original goal was to collect 3585 items. Success and more!! The final total items collected was 6646! WOW!!

The team delivered the goods at 9:00 this morning. 16 eager Denso employees spent their time delivering, sorting, shelving and learning about the CFC. So much good food to distribute.. lots of mac/cheese, green beans, soup, canned meats and fruits, baby food, cereal and so much more! They were having a great time and were so pleased to be able to help. The only description for their generous act? Awesome and amazing!

Our sincere thanks go to the Denso associates. The CFC and the hungry in Blount County are blessed by your generosity and many kindnesses.

Summer Birthday Surprise!

2007-10-08T07:16:00.001-04:00

What a great idea! Charles B. sent an email this weekend that reminded me of a great story! His children all have summer birthdays and the family likes to have fun birthday parties with lots of friends. This year Katie, Preston and Jackson had a special party. They asked their party friends to bring mac and cheese, peanut butter or cereal as gifts. No toys at this celebration! As you can see by the picture, due to the generosity of their guests, the party collected quite a lot of food and the lucky recipient was the CFC! The kids were able to participate in the delivery as well. Kudos to the Brinkley's for their fabulous idea and for teaching their children about missions at home! What a blessing!

A Busy Week!

2007-10-04T16:23:00.000-04:00

What a busy week it has been for the CFC. Even though it is only Thursday, life has been "hopping" for us. On Tuesday we had a Volunteer meeting. With an unexpected turnout of around 30 volunteers there was a sense of accomplishment for the Board. What a great chance to communicate with one another. Appreciation certificates were handed out to the civic, church and community groups that staff the CFC on a regular basis. The current bread situation as well as the celebration of new shelving was discussed. Questions about Second Harvest and USDA foods were explained and answered. What a great meeting!

On Wednesday the Daily Times sent a reporter to check up on what is happening at the "store". The focus for the story will be how our community youth are helping out. This month Brendan Wood provided us with additional strong and sturdy shelving, the Maryville High School National Honor Society will work on the third Saturday (2 shifts) as they do every month and then on Halloween (Oct. 31st) three students (Camille Crumpton, Michae Musick and Scott Mcamis) will supervise and enjoy their labor of love - "Trick or Cans". This is the 10th anniversary for "Trick or Cans" and the CFC is looking forward to another successful food drive. We are researching to find the total pounds of food collected over this period of time and will have that in an upcoming entry. Wow! What fabulous students we have in our county!

Today part of the board gathered to look over the new shelving and to think about how food will be stored, rotated for distribution and received in large quantities. While there, the photographer (or is that graphic artist?) for the Times came to quietly observe and take some photos. Shelves were stocked (88 families had been served on Wednesday and the shelves were low) and bags were prepared for Saturday"s clients. Second Harvest shoppers came and went to shop.... there will be another flurry of activity as they return, unload and shelve foods. USDA bags will be packed again and final preparations will be made for Saturday.

As always there is much to be done, but the volunteers are up to the challenge. It may take a little while to grow accustomed to the new arrangements but what a blessing to increase the storage space.

While there it was noted that canned tuna is getting low, soon we will be out of green beans and fruit is almost gone as well. We are beginning to hear about some tentative food drives (other than Trick or Cans) and hopefully the shelves will soon be more full. Have you thought about a food drive at your place of business or civic club? The CFC would love your help!

October 1, 2007

2007-10-01T16:36:00.000-04:00

WOW!!!! How wonderful it is to see additional shelving . Though our shelves look sadly empty at the moment (unless you count all those empty boxes just waiting on food), the crisp air of fall means food drives on the horizon. A great big thanks goes to all the Boy Scouts (Troop 81), all the Dads (they were most likely assistant scout leaders) and to all those who donated time and money to the effort. What an awesome Eagle project! I even heard murmurings of another project on the way..... maybe even a food drive. Brendan, we thank you for a great idea and for following through!

It has been a good weekend for the CFC. We heard that the "Trick or Cans" project is on! That drive, fully organized and supervised by students,is always a big help in the fall. Students will be in your neighborhood on Halloween asking for canned foods. Share! There are many in this community who are hungry and need some extra help feeding their families.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, Oct. 2) there is a special Volunteer Appreciation Time at St. Paul Lutheran Church (we thank them for their hospitality again) at 10:00 am. All volunteers are invited and we will take time to share some coffee and treats as well as taking the time to say thank you. We will also have a time for questions. One of the biggest issues we face as an all volunteer agency is communication. So tomorrow, bring your questions, your suggestions and your smile. We are going to celebrate the opportunity to share in the mission of "feeding the hungry of Blount County". Without great and dedicated volunteers, the CFC would be a "great idea" with no chance of survival.

Do you know of a civic club or other organization that would like a speaker and a good mission project? The CFC board would be glad to provide you with a speaker and some written info.... just let us know! Looking for a great project for your church, your Sunday School class, your supper club, bridge club or "whatever" club? Ask each member to bring food every time you meet.... such a small thing that can help someone else when they need it most!

The CFC is ready to expand it's horizons and increase the potential donations. The numbers are growing every day. The heat and the drought have brought families to the doorstep that need help NOW. Think about it....... and bring in that food!

Get to Know the Community Food Connection

2007-09-24T08:52:00.000-04:00

The Community Food Connection was "born" in 1991 after a group of churches, concerned citizens, and the Blount County Ecumenical Action Council got together and recognized that there were numerous "pantries" in the community but no one overseeing how those in need received help with food. Pooling resources seemed the best plan. The mission of the CFC became "feeding the hungry of Blount County". It was decided that all who came and asked for food would be given food. Fast forward 16 years and several locations later.... The Community Food Connection is now located at 1402 E. Broadway, Maryville, TN 37804 (mailing address is P.O. Box 786 Alcoa, Tn 37701) where it has been for the last 6 years. We feed an average of 885 +/- families each month. The CFC is staffed entirely by VOLUNTEERS, no one is paid, no one receives reimbursement for fuel, etc...

The CFC is always looking for more volunteers to help with food drives, stocking shelves, serving the clients, providing foods, making copies, etc.... Many churches and other civic organizations provide volunteers on a regular basis. The CFC is open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm.

The CFC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that meets monthly, the first Tuesday of every month at 10:00 am. Meetings are held at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Sandy Springs Road.

Financial contributions are appreciated. Much of the food shared comes from Second Harvest in Knoxville (we shop there once per week) where we are able to pay a small handling fee of approximately 14 cents per pound for a variety of foods. USDA foods are also available there. There is no charge for these foods, but clients must qualify to receive those foods. Financial contributions should be mailed to the P.O. Box address (#786, Alcoa, TN 37701).

The CFC is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization.

9/20/07
Let me tell you about yesterday at the CFC. It was a crazy day. More than 90 families came to get food yesterday and 13 of those families were NEW, never been to the CFC before. Clients can only come once every two weeks and that is going to be a long time for some of these people. AS the day went on the good news was that USDA foods arrived and many families were blessed with extra food..... dried cherries, canned asparagus and best of all peanut butter! Sadly funds are still too low to purchase bread for everyone, but they keep asking! It is a sad state of our country to find that many bread companies require their local distributors to throw out "old bread"... in other words, put it in the dumpster and pour bleach on it so it can NOT be consumed. We were the recipient of such bread and bakery products for several years and it was such a blessing!

Back to yesterday, it was busy! I was there just to check in and observed that each family was greeted with love. Yes, love. Some of our volunteers even joined families on the receiving side of the counter to open doors and to hold babies while parents filled out information cards. It was a joy to see those being helped (which side of the counter was being helped? - the givers or the receivers? BOTH!!)

Anyway, I went back after hours to check on things. Yes, the shelves were empty and ready to be restocked, a good cleaning was needed and boxes were broken down and ready to be hauled to the recycling center. The best news - the food donation bin was once again full and ready for sorting and stocking! Thanks be to God that churches, individuals and community groups continue to donate food to the CFC. Hunger may not be stopped today but we continue to feed as many as we can!

9/23/07

WOW! What a great day! The Challenger's Sunday School class from Maryville First United Methodist Church went on a shopping spree! They spent more than $1000.00 dollars buying much needed tuna, fruit, peanut butter and macaroni and cheese. We are so pleased that they helped out when the food supply was low! Soon there will be fall food drives and the shelves will appear more full, but right now things look pretty sad! More than 750 pounds of food is shared each time the CFC is open. Often more than a 1000 pounds will be given out in a single day. Food goes fast! Once again, thanks to the Challengers! Great job!

9/24/07

There is excitement brewing at the CFC. We are to be the recipient of a long awaited improvement. Brendan Wood , a local Boy Scout has chosen the CFC as his Eagle Project. He and his crew will be building new shelves for food storage and helping to streamline the storage procedure. All this at no cost to the CFC! The actual physical work on the project begins on Wednesday though we know Brendan has been working on this for a long time..... getting donations, making plans, etc... Thank you!