For an entire year the Feed the Boro Committee, led by Don Poe, has been planning for its largest event of the year, providing Thanksgiving lunch to thousands. From raising money, organizing, planning and preparing, the committee has received overwhelming support from our community once again this year. Bulloch County is one of the most loving and giving communities and Thanksgiving morning that will be on full display.
On Wednesday Karen Phipps from the Statesboro Soup Kitchen along with Beverly Johnson from Bulloch County Schools led volunteers as they prepped for the Thanksgiving meals. From cooking and deboning turkeys to assembling delivery boxes, the volunteers worked into the evening.
The Knights of Columbus once again deep fried nearly 40 turkeys that were used to feed our public safety workers who are giving up time with their family to ensure we are all safe.
Sharon Wallace of UPS in Statesboro led a team of UPS volunteers in organizing routes for the thousands of deliveries that will be made. Patrick Robertson and Edie Grace Grice coordinated this massive delivery effort on Thanksgiving morning.
Over 600 volunteers donated their time to help make Feed the Boro a success on Wednesday and Thanksgiving Day.
This morning, volunteers arrived at 7 AM and started assembling the lines and filling them with food that volunteers have worked through the night cooking. The volunteers plated and packaged for delivery almost 3,000 traditional Thanksgiving meals.
Melissa Long with Great Dane managed the plate assembly line, which volunteers assembled nearly 1,000 plates an hour for three hours.
Volunteers began delivering the Thanksgiving lunch around 10 am to every part of our community. Over 100 police, fire, EMT’s and other public safety workers were fed along with hundreds of elderly, shut-in’s and anyone who wanted a hot Thanksgiving meal regardless of income or need.
This year, FTB has partnered with East Georgia Regional Medical Center and provided Thanksgiving lunch to all the family members who have loved ones in the hospital.
FTB is also partnered with DFACS and local churches in Evans County and with Sheriff John David Miles and churches in Candler Counties to provide meals which volunteers distributed in each community. “No one went hungry this Thanksgiving in Bulloch County thanks to this loving and giving community in which we live,” said Don Poe. “We all have so much to be Thankful for this year. Our community is once again come together to show the overwhelming love we have for all the citizens we know as our friends and neighbors. This is what makes our community great and what makes me proud to call Statesboro home.”
In addition to Volunteers, there are many other organizations and people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to pull this event off. A special thanks to Dr. Ken Lecain for allowing FTB to use SHS to prepare and distribute the meals. Also to Pastor John Long with Christian Social Ministry Food Bank who coordinates food supplies and handles intake of the families who request meals.
FTB wants to especially recognize Tod Marsh and Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Bi-Lo Statesboro, for donating 240 12-15 pound turkeys in addition to being the 2018 presenting sponsor. Tod Marsh, Statesboro BI-LO Store Manager said, “Thanksgiving should be spent enjoying time with friends and family, not worrying about how to put food on the table. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to work with Feed the Boro to ensure every neighbor has the opportunity to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.”
They also want to thank D&R Intensive Car Care & Lube, Statesboro First United Methodist Church, Davis Marketing Company and Homestar Financial for stepping up as Platinum sponsors along with hundreds of other businesses and individuals whose generous contributions make this event possible.
We are told in Acts 20:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
There have been many blessings this Thanksgiving in our community by both those receiving and by those giving through the Feed the Boro effort.