35,898

We did it! Summer 2019. We did it together as a community working together. We counted both Big Deliveries as 15 lunches (3 weeks), but we think (and pray) it is a little bit more.

To our friends and volunteers who have helped since the first summer, who stepped out in faith and delivered to 83 kids in two areas the first summer, you started this. Thank you.

To our friends, who joined us later and have helped when and were you could, we thank you.

To our friends, who have been unable to help, and have helped in the past, we miss you and we thank you.

To our friends, who have been here since the beginning, and are still helping, thank you.

To our new friends, who joined us this year, you showed up at the perfect time to help fill in the needed spots.

To our three new friends, who joined us today for the first time and ended up together on a new route together, you handled it wonderfully. Thank you.

We had a few glitches today. Some miscounts, keys locked in a car, some addresses that could not be found, and a few deliveries that will be taken care of tomorrow, but we did it! We Now everyone has the rest of the summer off! We promise.

We spent $61,175.99 this summer. At one point, we quit looking at what we are spending, focused on feeding the kids and simply trusted. We had hundreds of donors. We had no large grants only small churches, organizations, individuals and families giving what they felt able to give and led to give to the kids. We know of one family who donated $30 and we know they could not afford it, but the father wanted to give what he had to give and we know it was important to him. He did what he could.

Some of you showed up every day, some showed up the days you could and some showed up once. It all works. We are especially thankful for Staunton Christian Church, Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church and Brazil First United Methodist Church, who coordinated deliveries in their area every day and delivered this Summer. They just saw to it someone was there every day. We had a couple of friends who coordinated a route Bobbie Thomas Ringo Jennifer Miller between them. And then we have Tammy Kikta's family, who coordinates her friends to cover their route when they are not able to deliver. Of course, a special thank you to Cory Community Church of the Nazarene, who gives us a home in Clay County South and First Baptist Church, who gives us a home in Clay County North. Thank you First Christian Church for allowing us to use your facility for these two deliveries and being so wonderful to work with us!

We are thankful for Save A Lot and Troy Page, who have made ordering easier than ever and Troy even delivers with us!

As we wrap up Summer 2019, we are in awe of what our community is doing together.

I, on a personal note, want to thank every person who has had any part in this Program, who has helped, who has donated, who has prayed and has done what they have felt led to do. As we feed the kids, as we work together and cooperated with each other for a common goal, my faith has grow and my spirit lifts. In this world where social media can divide us, I see a community coming together, sharing, working together, finding what we have in common and doing the impossible.

I live in a wonderful community. I often think of a recent song, "Most People Are Good" and the lines: "I believe if you just go by the nightly news, your faith in mankind would be the first thing you lose." I am thankful to live in a community who finds hungry kids unacceptable and shows me daily why I have faith and social media and the news does does not faze me.

It is amazing what we can do together when we communicate, talk, work together and simply love our neighbor. Social media: it can be used for good or bad. Thank you for using it for the good of our kids. Thank you to everyone who helps and spreads the word! Here we are doing the impossible together.

Your Food Program Friend,

Terry Barr