Hundreds in need turn out for food giveaway

Hundreds of people wait in line for the food distribution to begin on Friday at the National Guard Armory. The distribution program was a partnership between the Mid-South Food Bank, the Noon Rotary Club and the Salvation Army.

On Friday morning, hundreds upon hundreds of people came to the National Guard Armory to receive food from the Mid-South Food Bank's mobile pantry. They had all been pre-screened and had vouchers to receive the food. There were 830 pre-screened vouchers given out and 724 vouchered families showed up. The mobile pantry brought 60,000 pounds of food with them from their warehouse in Memphis.

The distribution program was a partnership between the Mid-South Food Bank, the Noon Rotary Club and the Salvation Army. One hundred and fifteen people signed the volunteer sign-in sheet, but there are believed to be more that just showed up to help.

The Noon Rotary Club volunteered their time to distribute the food to the families. They partnered with the Mid-South Food Bank and the Salvation Army in order to have the food distribution. [Click to enlarge]

Chief Operating Officer of the Mid-South Food Bank Estella Mayhue-Greer came to Dyersburg with the food trucks and was amazed to see how well organized everything was running.

"It is so well organized and going so smoothly," said Mayhue-Greer.

The Mid-South Food Bank serves 17 counties in north Mississippi, Crittenden County in Arkansas and all of West Tennessee. Their mobile pantry is a new program that started in McNairy County. She said they did two distributions at a church there and the city then gave them a warehouse to work out of.

Matthew 25:40 Executive Director Amy Schmitt and Chairman of the Board of the Salvation Army Mark Oakes were busy providing help where it was needed during the distribution. Oakes is responsible for organizing Friday's food distribution, which will be on the third Friday of every month for vouchered families. [Click to enlarge]

"Our goal is to make sure that we distribute no less than 30 pounds of food annually per person in poverty, but that's nothing." Said Mayhue-Greer. "We were looking at the numbers here in Dyer County, and the amount of food that was being distributed from the Union Mission and Matthew 25:40 was not adequate for the number of people in poverty here."

Friday's recipients received around 70 pounds of food for each voucher.

Mayhue-Greer referenced that the United States Department of Agriculture just released a hunger report and Tennessee placed in the top 20 states in the U.S.

Chief Operating Officer of the Mid-South Food Bank Estella Mayhue-Greer (left) and Vice President of Operations Robert Hall (right) watch what they referred to as a well-organized distribution of the food. [Click to enlarge]

"We have a responsibility in this area to feed West Tennessee and if it wasn't happening, then we had to make it happen," said Mayhue-Greer.

Vice President of Operations Robert Hall accompanied Mayhue-Greer to Dyersburg and said the organization was unbelievable. They both acknowledged the hard work and dedication of Mark Oakes, chairman of the board of the Salvation Army, who organized Friday's food distribution.

"When I talked to Mark on the phone, I was sold off the bank," said Hall. "The need is out there and it doesn't do any good for food to sit in our warehouse. It needs to get out here where it belongs. We're thrilled to be involved in this and as long as we can keep food in our warehouse and donations and funds we can continue to do this until it is no more, but that will probably never happen."

Edgar Shults (far right) makes sure each car receives the right amount of food. [Click to enlarge]

Mayhue-Greer said there is no reason for anybody to be hungry in the United States with the food that's available here.

"If we're shipping food overseas to feed people oversees, we can certainly feed people in our own area," said Mayhue-Greer.

The Mid-South Food Bank also does more than just the mobile pantry, they also have the Back-pack Program. Children who receive free or reduced lunch at school get a backpack filled with food to take home with them over the weekend. This program is mostly in Memphis and Mississippi, but it is needed in other areas.

Sodas and other goods from the Mid-South Food Bank were given to each person with a voucher before they left the fairgrounds. [Click to enlarge]

"If they're getting food during the week, what happens (to them) on the weekend?" asked Mayhue-Greer. "So, we're giving them food to take home with them on the weekend."

Mayhue-Greer said they are looking for more sponsors to assist in this program and are always accepting volunteers. She said if there are church groups or other organizations that are looking for volunteer opportunities, she would like to invite them to come to Memphis and sort food and pack boxes. Volunteers packed the boxes that arrived in Dyersburg.

Recipients of the food received two types of turkey: deli style and turkey breast; sliced ham; a 5-pound tub of pimento cheese, boxed vegetables and dried beans, cake mix, peanut butter, mixed fruit, orange juice, a case of jelly and a case of sodas.

Hundreds of cars were lined up for the people to receive the final installment of their food package at the Dyer County fairgrounds.

"We're hoping we'll have as much food next month, but it depends on the donations and what we are able to get," said Mayhue-Greer. "We are committed to being here every month as long as you all are willing to have us here."

Oakes was busy making sure everything and everyone was taken care of and was pleased with the how things turned out.

"It was a beautiful day," said Oakes. "It was nice to see people from different economic and social backgrounds come together for a good cause."

These volunteers were at the last stop for families to pick up dry goods and sodas. Each family that was vouchered received 70 pounds of food.

Oakes said there are people who are on public assistance that get this food, but the beauty is there are also people who are furloughed or only working two or three weeks that also received it. And human-resource offices at factories are also able to voucher people at the factories who are in need.

Mayhue-Greer has family that lives in Dyersburg and said she knows this program is critical in Dyer County.

"I know what the need is up here and it's important that we address that," said Mayhue-Greer.

Food that was left over from Friday went to the Salvation Army, Matthew 25:40, Trimble First Baptist Church, Dyersburg Second Baptist Church and the Union Mission.

These volunteers were inside the armory to assist families as they picked up turkey, ham and a 5-pound tub of pimento and cheese.

The program is expected to continue on the third Friday of every month. Each voucher is good for six months.

To donate to the Mid-South Food Bank go to www.midsouthfoodbank.org or call 901-527-0841.

Participants in the food program must be screened and have a voucher to show they are eligible to receive food.

Applicant screening and vouchers are available now at Matthew 25:40, The Salvation Army and the Union Mission. Any resident of Dyer County who has documentation proving that they receive any one of the following types of aid qualifies.

1. SNAP (food stamp) benefits,

2. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

3. Supplemental Security Income

4. Residence in Public Housing

5. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds

The mobile pantry will be held monthly at the National Guard Armory on the third Friday of each month. Participants must show an original copy of their voucher and have some form of identification.