Last Saturday, March 11, was a day to remember in Ottawa. Over 100 volunteers, grandparents, parents with their children and grandchildren, all working toward one goal at Celebration Hall. They packed 15,000 protein rich macaroni and cheese dinners during the Franklin County Farm Bureau Meal Packing Event. The Farm Bureau Association Board felt it was important to assist the many food pantries in the county that serve the food-insecure in our communities, which is sadly as many as 11% of the county’s population. A majority of the boxed meals went to Hope House and the Connect Mobile Food Pantry, while some also went to ECKAN, the Blessing Boxes, Wellsville Family Church Food Pantry and the Richmond United Methodist Church Food Pantry.
The adults and older youth did the measuring, bagging, sealing, and filled the boxes. The younger children applied stickers to the bagged meals that listed the donors who made the project possible. Each of the boxed meals serves 6 people. The project was made possible through generous donations from many community partners including: the Franklin County Community Foundation, Walmart Distribution Center, Crystal Taylor of Modern Woodmen of America, Kelly Neufeld of Farm Bureau Financial Services, the Franklin County Farm Bureau Association and the Appanoose Trailblazers 4-H Club.
