Feed the Boro’s June Food Drop in, partnership with Second Harvest and presented by Food Lion and co-sponsored by the city of Statesboro and Eagle 94.9/106.5 The Boro, is scheduled for June 18, beginning at 8 a.m. at Statesboro High School. FTB volunteers will be distributing enough food to feed 1,000 families for one week.
FTB is partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to host family food drops for upcoming dates this year, to be announced. The Feed the Boro team is proud, says Don Poe, FTB chair, of the accomplishment of providing more than 840,000 meals to the community since conducting the family food drops in 2020. In August, that number will climb past 1 million.
“Our mission is to show our community hope through food, love through volunteerism and compassion through giving the least of these another day to fight,” said Poe. “All people deserve regular, nutritious meals and that is what Feed the Boro is all about.”
Poe says that by participating in FTB programs, individuals and families are provided supplementary nourishment, closing the gap for those experiencing economic hardship.
“We realize that a week’s worth of nutritious meals for a family of four provided on a monthly basis will not solve the wide ranging food insecurity challenge,” he said. “However, it does make a substantial impact, closing some of that nutritional gap.”
Poe also said that making sure that local children have enough to eat will help in their educational endeavors as well. The impact of food insecurity on educational readiness has been studied for years, he said, and that by implementing programs that address those issues, “we strengthen our ability as a community to reverse the poverty cycle and give children and families the opportunity to become self-sufficient.”
Children aren’t the only ones affected, he adds. Teens and college-age students also face food insecurity and its negative effects. Food insecurity, Poe says, can last into adulthood, and FTB is hoping to break that cycle.
“The positive impact on our community is evident on the faces that come through our food drop lines, and the impact is evaluated by monitoring our levels of participation. We recognize we are in the early stages of closing the gap, as we have consistently maintained a 1,000+ family participation level since our inception. As our program continues, we will monitor impact by continuing to track our participation levels and food volume,” he said.
Poe reminds the community and those in need to show up early for the food drop on June 18 and enter the Statesboro High campus from the back side off Fleming Drive. Drivers will enter the road that runs between the SHS football stadium and the school building, then proceed into the parking area where the distribution will be held. The gates on Blue Devil Drive and the entrance off Lee Hill Boulevard will be closed. The only way to enter will be off Fleming Drive.
Anyone in Bulloch County who needs food is encouraged to participate, but encouraged to get in line early. Volunteers will end the distribution at noon or earlier if the food supply runs out.
FTB volunteers will be following strict COVID protocols in making this a contactless delivery. When citizens reach the distribution area, they will need to have their trunks open and cleaned out. The rear portions of SUVs or hatchbacks will need to be accessible and cleaned as well.
Statesboro High School is located at 10 Lee Hill Boulevard.
