News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Ms. Senior Cumberland County Association is taking donations for its annual Caring For Our Veterans Food Drive through November 11.
Food Drive Committee Chair Connie Clapper said they are collecting nonperishable items like canned goods as well as monetary donations that will be used to purchased more food. Clapper said their local veterans are in dire need, especially this year as food prices continue to rise.
“I know that this is definitely benefiting them and their families,” Clapper said. “And if there’s a family that is larger, they’ll receive more boxes accordingly so I know that it’s not being wasted. Nothing is being wasted.”
Clapper said they work with local organizations such as the Veterans Assistance Council and VFW to prepare the boxes and find veterans who need support. Clapper said their goal is to have one hundred boxes of food ready to send out for the week of Thanksgiving.
“If we have extra overflow of food, which we will always accept in this window of time, it will end up going to the Christmas boxes that the council does,” Clapper said. “The Cumberland County Veterans Assistance Council does Christmas boxes, too.”
Clapper said they also provide food for veterans in surrounding counties as their supplies allow.
“Those American Legions have a list of veterans and they kind of scout out and they find them,” Clapper said. “And unfortunately some are kind of homeless and they know where they are and they work with us to get (the food) to them in a timely manner.”
Clapper said she started the event during the first year of the pandemic as a way to benefit the community while social distancing.
“At that point we collected sixty-five boxes for our veterans and each box was weighing approximately forty-five pounds,” Clapper said.
They are currently accepting donations at Food City’s locations on West Avenue and on Peavine Road, the Crossville Airport’s office, the Art Circle Public Library, Cahoots General Store, the Veterans Service Office, Price Less IGA, the VFW Lodge, First National Bank’s locations on Main Street and on Peavine Road, ACE Body and Frame, and the Fair Park Senior Center.
