News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency is hosting an agency-wide yard sale this Friday and Saturday to raise funds to purchase a liftgate for the agency’s food distribution truck.
UCHRA Community Services Program Manager Judy Sanchez said the agency is looking to purchase a liftgate as currently, they are moving food pallets on and off the truck by hand. Sanchez said the UCHRA delivers food once a month to all 14 counties in the Upper Cumberland and moving the pallets by hand is back-breaking work.
“We have a very limited small staff,” Sanchez said. “Just two people working in that department and it is really hard to take the food off the truck and get it down to the ground where it can be passed out to the customers, and this would really help our program.”
Sanchez said a liftgate would allow the agency to distribute more food to the Upper Cumberland and put less stress on the Commodities Distribution Department. Sanchez said food insecurity has increased in the Upper Cumberland and the agency is trying to address the issue the best they can.
“We see so many people who are in desperate need of food,” Sanchez said. “They don’t come just to us but they come to a lot of food pantries within the area. Sometimes if they are eligible for food stamps, especially the people who are on fixed incomes and elderly they just get a very small amount of food stamps, so they really rely on the food that is given to them throughout the month.”
Sanchez said along with the yard sale the UCHRA is raising funds by offering advertisements to local business owners to have their business name painted on the truck.
“They are welcome to do that,” Sanchez said. “Purchase a spot for a year just to let them know that they support not only the Upper Cumberland but the UCHRA and just let that be known and we would love to partner with anybody who might be willing to do that.”
Because of the pallets’ weight, Sanchez said the liftgate would need to be powerful. Sanchez said an estimated cost to purchase the liftgate the agency needs is roughly around $8,000. Sanchez said the agency will continue delivering food in the Upper Cumberland even if the agency does not raise enough funds to purchase a liftgate.
The agency will hold the yard sale Friday, September 20th, 8:00am to 4:30pm and Saturday, September 21st from 8:00am to 2:00pm.
