Clarksville, TN – The COVID-19 Coronavirus has closed the physical doors to the Loaves and Fishes site at 215 Foster Street, but patrons still flock to the parking lot every day for take-away meals.
Like so many of its non-profit counterparts, Loaves and Fishes, the local 501(3)(c) that provides a daily hot meal to those in need, had to cancel its annual in-person Spring fundraiser, and never before has the need been so great.
Costs are rising for the organization due to a 30% increase in daily meal distribution and because with new social distancing guidelines, they now have to purchase single serving portions to be eaten on the go.
The organization has also seen an increase in the number of children it serves on a daily basis.
“Our mission is to feed the hungry, that is what we do, and we do it well,” said Dr. Rita G. Burnett, Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes. “During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have stepped up to the plate to do it creatively, so that our clients will have delicious sack lunch items daily in a grab’n’go style such as wings, wraps, stews, beef tips with gravy, and fajitas just to name a few. In the midst of the chaos, the hungry are still here, and so are we….”
The added costs come at a difficult time because the organization is simultaneously building a new facility to better serve its clients.
This spring, Loaves and Fishes has set the ambitious goal of raising $20,000 to feed the most vulnerable in Clarksville-Montgomery County. The organization will participate in this year’s Big Payback, a 24-hour giving marathon hosted by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.
The event starts on May 6th, 2020 at 6:00pm and continues through May 7th at 6:00pm.
With so many people feeling helpless at home, the theme to Loaves and Fishes giving campaign is “Join us on the Couch.” Participants are asked to donate, post a selfie on their sofas, post instructions for supporting the Big Payback, and challenge five friends to do the same.
For more information on participating in Loaves and Fishes Big Payback Campaign, visit www.thebigpayback.org/loaves
