A total of 1,150 families received food assistance Saturday as the Newton County Food Basket Brigade held its distribution day at the Newton County Armory.
One of the participants was Amy Pogue.
“This is my third year coming here,” Pogue said. “The food will supply me with food for three weeks, maybe more. It just depends on how you eat.”
Pogue heard about the program through family and Economic Security.
“They really help you out,” Pogue said. “People come together and give them food.”
And later on, Pogue hopes to return the favor.
“Once I get on my feet and get a job, I would like to volunteer,” said Pogue.
Participants received frozen food, non-perishable food and other food.
Pogue was not the only participant who thanked the volunteers for their time during the brigade.
Dana Thormhill said, “I like it. Friendly people.”
Thormhill went to the Neosho Help Center a couple of times and the center told her about the help from the food basket brigade. This was her first time coming to the brigade.
“We will make some (food) on Tuesday night,” Thormhill said. “I have family that is coming.”
Asked if the economic times had anything to do with it, she said, yes.
“We are kind of struggling with money right now,” Thormhill said. “I really appreciate the help that they give us. I think that it is really awesome.”
Even brigade organizers felt that the program went very well.
“It is going good,” Lewis Cole, food basket brigade vice president said.
Adding to his comments, Robert Allen, the brigade’s president said five records occurred.
“No. 1, we got the most enrollees that we have ever had — 1,150,” Allen said. “No. 2, we have generated the most money that we have ever had — more than $33,000. No. 3, we have got homebound out faster than we ever done. No. 4, we started the line 45 minutes earlier (people were outside before 8 a.m.— the first line was to begin at 8:30 a.m.) and No. 5, we got the outbound on Friday.”
Recipients walked around the armory with a number, which represented the amount of family members in their household. Countless volunteers put in items designated to the number on the card into the shopping cart. Volunteers also had smiles on their faces as they wished the recipients a merry Christmas.
“I think that the program is fantastic, I think that it a great thing on what these people do, God bless them,” said Nancy Martin, a recipient with five members in her family.
In the past, Angela Patterson has volunteered at the brigade. This year, she actually went around for her grandmother who was in the hospital.
“Grandma has been coming out her for at least the past five years,” Patterson said.
“The program is good, really good,” said Patterson. “With the tornado that happened in May, it is helping out a lot of families that need it.”
The goal of the brigade is to provide food for a traditional Christmas dinner plus basic staples to last up to two weeks for Newton County residents certified as low income, disadvantaged, disabled and/or elderly in need of assistance. Virtually all individuals and families certified to receive food through the Food Basket Brigade are also receiving assistance from DFS, Economic Security Corporation, the Neosho Crosslines, the Help Center and other relief agencies during the brigade.
The basic premise of the basket brigade is that in this land of plenty, nobody should have to go hungry at Christmas.
Since it began in 1988, the food basket brigade has collected and distributed more than 2 million pounds of food.
The initial goal this year was 1,100 families and 100,000 pounds of food.
Neosho, Mo. —
