By: Maria Turner
8/11/2017
Immediate Release
Cumberland County Fair and USDA pair up for 2017 Food Drive
The Cumberland County Fair and the USDA are pairing up again this summer for the Annual Food Drive.Thanks to the generosity of last years’ fairgoers, we more than doubled our collection total from 2015. We are asking that everyone help us makethe 2017food drive an even bigger success by bringing a non-perishable food item to donate at the gate. This year we will be collecting food the entire week of the fair. Midway opens Monday, August 28th and will continue thru September 3rd. There will be containers at each entrance to the fair clearly marked for the items donated. Please be sure to check the expiration date and donate only those items that are still in date.
The 2017 Feds Feed Families Food Drive began nationwide June 1, 2017, and ends on August 31, 2017. As a world-wide leader on issues of food and hunger, USDA has been one of the leading agencies in total contributions over the past eight years. The local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA), along with the Cumberland County Soil Conservation District (SCD) and the Cumberland County Fair, have teamed up to make this food drive a success for Cumberland County. Our plan is to give thedonated itemslocally to the House of Hope, the Bread of Life Rescue Mission, and The Crab Orchard Care Center.
This annual food drive, which began in 2009 as part of the United WeServe campaign, was designed to help food banks and pantries stay stocked during summer months, a time when they traditionally encounter decreases in donations and increases in the need for assistance. Through the amazing generosity of employees and sponsors, the food drive has collected nearly 70 million pounds of food for those in need since the food drive began in 2009. Last year alone over 12.5 million pounds were collected nationwide. Cumberland County collected 2,759 pounds for donation, and each year we set a higher goal to better serve Cumberland County needs.
We are requesting your help in our goal for 2017. Even though this is a food drive, we will accept other items as well. These agencies provide services to people of all ages and offer services other than food. They can use a wide variety of other items such as household paper products, cleaning products, Personal Care Products for adults and children, and linens. The food items are the standard needs of any household kitchen, preferably non-perishable items.
For more information on the House of Hope, please visit their website at or call their office at 931-707-2273. Monetary donations can be sent to: House of Hope, PO Box 4002, Crossville, TN 38557.
For more information on the Bread of Life Rescue Mission please visit their website at or call their office at 931-707-0503.
For more information on the Crab Orchard Care Center please contact Mary Nelson at 931-707-5616 or visit the facility located at 87 Commerce St, Crab Orchard, TN 37227. They are open on Wednesday and Saturday.
The local USDA Service Center is located at 314 Old Jamestown Hwy, Crossville, TN and can be reached by phone at (931) 484-5442 ext 3, or (931) 484-6520 ext 2. Donated items can be dropped off at the Service Center at either the NRCS/SCD office or the FSA office between 8:00 and 4:30, weekdays through Wednesday, August 31, 2016.
Please help us to fill this need in “Our Community”!
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