Feed the Boro (FTB) reported a record crowd for their monthly food drop which was held on Saturday, September 17, 2022 in the parking lot of Statesboro High School.
Statesboro Police Department officers along with FTB volunteers and SHS staff had to assist with traffic which backed up from Coach Lee Hill Boulevard down Northside Drive into the drive beside Mcdonalds. Before the food distribution began at 8 AM traffic backed almost to Planet Fitness.
The Food Lion | Feed the Boro monthly food drop in partnership with Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, co-sponsored by Statesboro High School and Davis Marketing Company, began distributing food at 8 am at Statesboro High School, 10 Lee Hill Boulevard. In just over two hours, they distributed enough food to feed 1,000 families for one week.
Don Poe, FTB Chair praised the volunteers for their extraordinary work in getting the food distributed so efficiently. He also recognized the Statesboro Police Department for their help with traffic control.
Poe sent special thanks several groups who helped Saturday including the Damascus Men who are loyal volunteers every month. The GS ROTC who came out in force to help and Statesboro High School students and staff for their help in making the drop a success.
FTB Reviewing Options for Future Drops
FTB leadership has been discussing alternative options as the crowds continue to build that will allow them to continue this service and not impact traffic around the school. The next drop is scheduled for Saturday, October 15th. Now that the Kiwanis Club has moved the fair parade to Saturday morning, it directly conflicts with the food drop. This presents a challenge with volunteers and SPD for traffic control. They are looking for options to move the drop to another date or cancel the October drop.
Kiwanis Fairgrounds in November
The November 19th drop is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro and is planned to be held at the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairgrounds. This will provide the FTB team with an opportunity to test this as a new potential permanent location, if the Kiwanis Club approved.
29% Poverty Rate
Bulloch County has a 29% poverty rate, which means that close to 1 out of 3 people may go to bed hungry tonight. Even with help from other local sources, this is still a shocking figure. Feed the Boro has been asked to continue our food drops that supply a family of four, two meals a day for a week and to do so, they need the help of our community. They invite you to volunteer and join in the efforts to feed the less fortunate.
In addition to volunteering your time there is another way you can help. FTB encourages you to sponsor a meal for an individual or a family. For a contribution of $15 you can sponsor a family of three. $25 – family of five, $100 – 20 people, etc.
Thanks to FTB's generous sponsors, it only costs around $5 per person to provide groceries for a week.
Feed the Boro continues to raise funds to help with this and other FTB projects. Two easy ways to give is through a check made payable to: Feed the Boro P.O. Box. 2736, Statesboro, 30459 and also online at www.feedtheboro.com.
FTB thanks our community for their continued willingness to serve families in need!
