As the school year begins to wind down, the TLC Community Center’s Summer Food Program is preparing to kick off and they are looking for a helping hand to get rolling this year.
The Summer Food Program provides a hot dinner meal along with a bagged breakfast and bagged lunch to children throughout the community every Monday through Friday during the program period; the meals are delivered to several sites throughout Carter County.
Last year the program saw record numbers, serving 72,924 meals over the course of 10 weeks, TLC Community Center Director Angie Odom said. This year the program will run from June 1 through August 7 and record numbers are once again expected, she added.
The TLC Community Center is currently looking for sponsors and donors for the program.
“We need people who would be willing to donate money to help purchase food and other supplies for the program,” Odom said. “We are also in need of sponsors for our main food items for our summer meals as well as donations of individually wrapped snack items.”
This year will be the 12th year the center has held its annual Summer Food Program, which Odom said she started after seeing a need in the community.
Through the center’s work within the school system, Odom said she met many children who told her they do not get enough to eat during the summer.
“During the school year, many of these children receive the bulk of their nutritional needs from the school meal program, ” Odom said, adding many families in the community have low incomes. “During the summer, those meals aren’t available to them and their families often struggle financially to try to provide those meals.”
In addition to needing donations of money and supplies, Odom said the center is also looking for volunteers to help prepare, package and deliver the meals throughout the community.
“This is a perfect project for church youth groups to get involved with,” she said, adding last year several church groups participated in the program.
The TLC Community Center receives no local, state or federal monies or grants, Odom said. The Summer Food Program, like all of the center’s programs and services, are funded strictly through donations by the local community, she added.
Those wishing to donate money for the program can do so in one of two ways, Odom said. Donations can be sent to the TLC Community Center or can be made online at www.gofundme.com/TLCSummer2015.
Those interested in making a donation or wanting to volunteer to help prepare or deliver food are asked to contact Angie Odom at 423-895-8601.