Cherokee Woman Feeds Hundreds Of Kids Through Food Pantries

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — While Andrea Dean, director of food missions at Heritage Presbyterian Church, was a substitute teacher during the 2012-13 school year, she witnessed students often being distracted from their school work due to being hungry.

"I frequently observed children being distracted with the issues associated with food insecurity, they were distracted and unable to learn," Dean said. "Some were even to the point of exhaustion and would just lay their heads on their desk and fall asleep due to the lack of food. I also observed the distress felt by the teachers because they love their students and want them to do well and learn but not having a resource, like a food pantry, to help their children was a huge burden on them to provide and a financial burden as well."

She knew she had to do something, so she set to work creating a food pantry with Heritage Presbyterian Church that students could utilize when they had a need, and school pantry programs were created.

"I am a Christian, and we believe in helping people in need," Dean said. "I take this belief very seriously because I have also felt this need in my life. I know how it feels to be hungry. I have always wanted to be able to help and bring dignity to the need and bring more awareness to the issue. Also, when my husband and I began to start our family we wanted a way to have our children understand that there are people that are in this need and that there is a way to help. We have three kids, ages 15, 12 and 11. They have grown up helping, I remember when they were little and keeping a baby swing in the pantry and a pack in play, so they could rest. Now I send volunteers to them to be trained in the event. They are some of my best volunteers."

The programs have been designed to serve food insecure students with “weekend bags.” Students are discreetly given a bag each week to cover the weekend gap when they do not have access to free and reduced breakfast and lunch programs offered at school. The bags are filled with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items.

Due to the partnership the church maintains with the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the bags are put together at a cost of $1 per bag.

"As a partner of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, we have some great programs that we are a part of to resource food," Dean said. "I can purchase at the ACFB and either pick up at their warehouse or schedule a delivery. Volunteers help organize the order and stock shelves. Each month we bring a delivery to our three school pantries. We also are allowed to pick up reclaimed product at assigned retailers (like Target or Kroger). Currently, we pick up hundreds of pounds several of times each week. There is no staff, we are all volunteers."

Up to 300 students are served weekly through the three school locations:

• Clark Creek Elementary School: Volunteers are serving 80 - 90 students weekly.
  Shelves quickly become bare, so donations are needed throughout the school year.
• Etowah High School: Volunteers serve weekend bags and daily snacks to 20 - 40 students weekly. In addition, 35 – 40 Oak Grove Elementary School students are served weekly through this pantry. Soon, students from E.T Booth Middle School will also use this pantry.
• Woodstock High School: 30 – 40 students are served weekly. Through this pantry 30 – 40 Woodstock Middle School students are being served. In addition to 30 – 40 Woodstock Elementary School students. Also, 5 – 10 at Sixes Elementary School and soon will include students at Freedom Middle School.

"One neat part about the program is how it works in the high schools we serve," Dean said. "At Etowah High and Woodstock High, they have students that are required to log life skills hours. These students are offered the opportunity to 'work' in the pantry. They are learning skills that they will bring into jobs when they graduate. The students get to learn about food safety, stock shelves, organize, manage inventory levels, clock in and clock out. This has been very valuable to the teachers and students in these classes."

The community helps by donating food through neighborhood food drives, reverse trick or treating, post office food drive and coming out to volunteer, Dean said.

"The response is great," she said. "There are times when people are more willing to volunteer which is a challenge because we serve people all year long. I have not seen a vacation in hunger while directing this program for 16 years, only an increase in need."

Even with the support, Dean said she often meets people who do not realize there is a need in Cherokee County.

"It amazes me maybe the most because of how close I am to the issue." Dean said. "I am working on this issue with the staff and administration in the schools we serve. Part of the 'weekend bag' program is to also educate the entire school population, including their families. We encourage their clubs, like BETA, honor society, etc., to run food and fund drives to support their students and friends. It is a great way for awareness to be brought and also providing them an outlet to give and address the problem. I would like people to be aware that we do have an issue with food insecurity in our area. We are lucky to many great programs that already serve but they all need support. So please find one and see what their needs are to support these families. Donations of food, money and time are always in need."

Dean said the church takes the opportunity to serve very seriously.

"When we donate to any client we take that as a chance to do something meaningful in their lives," she said. "So all donations need to be useful. We would like to give families items that would actually be useful, and out of dates items are not useful. We tailor orders specifically to what families members needs may be. If there are children we try to provide items they would like, and we like to help provide items that clients can use if they have dietary restrictions. Fund drives and monetary donations are also great. By partnering with the ACFB we are able to purchase product at $0.16 a pound. So I can purchase a 16 ounce jar of peanut butter for $0.16. I'm not sure anywhere you can purchase at that price. Financial donations are also great so I can purchase the items I know we do not have on inventory that clients will need. And all donations are tax deductible."

• Instant oatmeal and grits
• Microwave popcorn
• Granola and cereal bars
• Salty and sweet snacks
• Canned chili, beef stew
• Soup, Ramen noodles
• Individually packaged, easy open items

*No glass, large or heavy items accepted.

There are two other food pantries the church supplies, including:

• Jay Weaver Emergency Food Pantry: HPC serves a five-mile radius of the church campus. Food donations are needed to supply shelves with grocery items to serve neighbors in need of emergency assistance. The pantry serves 45 families monthly. An average family of four receives over 200 pounds of bakery items, frozen meats, paper products, shelf stable items, produce, dairy and hygiene products.
• Mobile Food Pantry: Each month, the church distributes 15,000 pounds of food to an average of 200 families. There are no qualification requirements for recipients. Volunteers are needed to unload the food truck, organize donations and clean up after the event. Groups are always welcome.

To contact Dean, email her at JWFoodPantry@gmail.com or online.