Less Fortunate in Pike County Receive Sacks of Food from Women's Group
By: Josh Berry
Updated: June 7, 2012
A group of women in Pike County is taking the job of helping under-privileged children and their families into their own hands.
The Junior Auxiliary has started a summer food program in Murfreesboro.
This is the first week of 11 this summer, where families who are pre qualified can come and pick up a bag of groceries to help them make it through a week.
"When you live from week to week you don't know what's going to happen," Linda Strawn said.
Strawn has six grandchildren she cares for herself. She said bringing food home can become more than a chore. She said it's a week to week struggle.
During the school year providing food is a bit easier. There are daily lunches provided and even a program sponsored by a local church that sends a bag full of food home every weekend.
Summer though, becomes a different story.
"I don't think we would make it this summer because it gets rough, it's a lot of kids to feed," Strawn explained.
Anna O'Neal is President of the Pike County Junior Auxiliary.
She said, "During the summer it becomes a hardship for a lot of families to be able to provide food for their children 3 meals a day, seven days a week."
In an effort to provide the needed resource for struggling families, the Junior Auxiliary took the idea of the school year backpack program just a step further.
The auxiliary provides food with help from Murfreesboro churches.
O'Neal said, "It's not enough to supply all their food for the week but it will help out a lot."
For the first time ever, for 11 weeks this summer, less fortunate children and their families in the county can put a few more groceries in their pantry.
"We ran out yesterday and we're on food stamps," said grandfather of seven, William Crocker.
Crocker missed the first Monday (6/4), but the ladies went ahead and sent him home with a bag Thursday afternoon.
Strawn said, "It's just very heartwarming to know that there's people out there that care enough to help you make it through"
From making it through, to making it at all, struggling families have one group of ladies looking out for them.
"Now we gonna eat tonight. We got some bread and stuff, don't we buddy," said Crocker to his 3 year old grandson.
The Junior Auxiliary has started a summer food program in Murfreesboro.
This is the first week of 11 this summer, where families who are pre qualified can come and pick up a bag of groceries to help them make it through a week.
"When you live from week to week you don't know what's going to happen," Linda Strawn said.
Strawn has six grandchildren she cares for herself. She said bringing food home can become more than a chore. She said it's a week to week struggle.
During the school year providing food is a bit easier. There are daily lunches provided and even a program sponsored by a local church that sends a bag full of food home every weekend.
Summer though, becomes a different story.
"I don't think we would make it this summer because it gets rough, it's a lot of kids to feed," Strawn explained.
Anna O'Neal is President of the Pike County Junior Auxiliary.
She said, "During the summer it becomes a hardship for a lot of families to be able to provide food for their children 3 meals a day, seven days a week."
In an effort to provide the needed resource for struggling families, the Junior Auxiliary took the idea of the school year backpack program just a step further.
The auxiliary provides food with help from Murfreesboro churches.
O'Neal said, "It's not enough to supply all their food for the week but it will help out a lot."
For the first time ever, for 11 weeks this summer, less fortunate children and their families in the county can put a few more groceries in their pantry.
"We ran out yesterday and we're on food stamps," said grandfather of seven, William Crocker.
Crocker missed the first Monday (6/4), but the ladies went ahead and sent him home with a bag Thursday afternoon.
Strawn said, "It's just very heartwarming to know that there's people out there that care enough to help you make it through"
From making it through, to making it at all, struggling families have one group of ladies looking out for them.
"Now we gonna eat tonight. We got some bread and stuff, don't we buddy," said Crocker to his 3 year old grandson.
