TIFTON —
Did you know your Tift County Board of Education has always fed children over the summer? Every June the schools have offered nutritious meals in connection with the summer school program to feed our community youth.
Last year Tift County Board of Education entered into an innovative partnership called Food for Thought with the Tiftarea YMCA to help distribute these healthy meals all summer long.
The partnership has allowed the community to maximize the impact of the USDA’s Seamless Summer Feeding Program bringing meals to children all over the county for the months of June and July.
The USDA summer grant provides free meals to all children 18 and under. The Tift County Board of Education prepares these hot meals and is then reimbursed through the USDA.
These meals help overcome food instability issues that plague much of Tift County. Sixty-eight percent of our public school children qualify for free and reduced lunches.
The school provides a tremendous service in feeding children breakfast and lunch throughout the school year. During the summer months many families struggle with providing quality nutrition without the assistance of the school lunch program.
Food for Thought is meant to help the schools reach these children over the summer months. With the help of countless community volunteers, healthy lunches are delivered directly to areas with high populations of students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.
For the month of June in 2009 the schools served 12,046 lunches. This past June 23,272 meals were served to the children in Tift County, that’s almost double the meals served just three years ago!
Thanks to the Board of Education’s dedication to our community youth, over 1,200 children are receiving the nutrition they need during these summer months.
Many hands are needed to distribute the meals that the Tift County lunchroom staff so diligently prepares throughout the week. The Y & BOE greatly appreciate volunteers from the following agencies who serve the children every Monday through Friday at 16 sites throughout the county:
Beulah Hill Baptist Church, Christ’s Church, Dayspring Inspiration Baptist Church, Department of Juvenile Justice, Eagle’s Wing Church of God, First Baptist Church of Omega, First Baptist Church of Tifton, First Baptist Church of Ty Ty, First United Methodist Church, Hands for Hands Ministry, Journey Church, Terrie Gordon & the Neighborhood Mothers of Dee’s Apartments, Northside Baptist Church, Omega Police Department, Simmon Grove Baptist Church of Omega, Springfield Baptist Church, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Teen Works, Tifton Housing Authority, Tifton Tift County Public Library, Traveler’s Rest Church, Trinity Methodist Church and Union Grove Church of God.
Not only have more lunches been served, but the Y through two grants from the Wal-mart foundation has been able to incorporate programs and fun activities to accompany the meals the BOE prepares.
Children have been able to enjoy not only physical activities, but also many educational programs with the help of countless community volunteers.
The following volunteers have brought much enrichment to our community youth this summer: Ameris Bank, Army, Behavioral Health Services, Beulah Hill Baptist Church, County Commissioner Melissa Chevers, DFACS, Diversified, Eagle's Wing Church of God, Rev. Earl Steffens on behalf of the Kiwanis, First Baptist Church of Omega, First Baptist Church of Tifton, First Baptist Church of Ty Ty, First Community Bank, Greg Nemmo Candidate for Tax Commissioner Hands For Hands Ministry, Harvest Studios, Headstart teachers, Jeff Gibbs Candidate for Tax Commissioner, Journey Church, Kids University Science Instructor Brittaney Schwing , King Productions, Lice Solutions Resource Network, Literacy Volunteers, Lowe’s, Marines, Mayor Jamie Cater, National Guard, Navy, Northside Baptist Church, Omega Police Department, Redbird, Ruth's Cottage/Patticake House, Sam Lilly retired from the New York Giants, Sheriff Candidate Dennis Reece, Sheriff Candidate Gene Scarborough, Sheriff Candidate Steve Wood, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Sweet Dixie Melons, Taekwondo USA, Tift County EMS, Tift County Health Department, Tift County High School Soccer Team, Tifton Fire Department, Tifton, Harley Davidson, Tifton Police Department, Tifton Tift County Library, Tift Regional Medical Center, Travis Williams head basketball coach of Tennessee State University, University of Georgia Young Scholars, Union Grove Church of God, Wellcare of Georgia, Wiregrass Farmers Market – Leanne Culbreath, Y Reader- Donna Robb , Y Reader-Jane & Jim Sinclair, Yoga N Yogurt with instructor April Brooks-Salaam, and You Pick Berry Farms.
Wow!!! Tift County has an amazing network of support to care for our community children.
Under the guidance of Nutrition Director Licia Nicholson, more meals than ever are reaching our youth. Nicholson has tirelessly worked to ensure that the children in Tift County have easy access to quality nutrition.
The Tiftarea YMCA is proud to partner with the Tift County Board of Education in this enormous community collaboration. For a complete listing of feeding sites please visit www.tiftareaymca.org.
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Related Photos
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Tiftarea YMCA Children enjoy fresh watermelon slices at Food for Thought carnival day in Ty Ty City Park. The Tift County Board of Education, YMCA and numerous community donors have partnered to provide summer meals for children whose main meal is normally eaten at school. Tiftarea YMCA
Y celebrates successful partnership with Tift BOE for Food for Thought
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Identity Theft: Do all you can to protect your credit, debit cards
Pictured are a couple of skimmers, used here on an ATM machine and gas pump. The devices usually fit right over the original card reader or key pad, but are loose when tugged.
It's summertime and there may be only two words on your mind – road trip. As we hit the roads this summer for vacations we all make stops at the gas station and the ATM.
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