By Clint Confehr

Senior Staff Writer

Approximately 130 families received groceries Saturday from Second Harvest Food Bank in Lewisburg where volunteers from several churches helped those in need.

"It's probably close to a year since we've had one," volunteer coordinator Gayle Cook said Monday. "Previously, we had three to four a year. Then, funding through the state dried up."

About a year ago, Cook retired after 40 years of service with the state Department of Human Services. She credited the success of the "true community effort" to volunteers from various churches. Distributions started several years ago in the parking lot of First United Methodist Church's McKnight Center. It was moved to the Powder Room in the old Borden milk plant owned by Steve and Vicki Cain.

Recipients are "just people who are in need of food," Cook said. "A grandmother, who has at least three generations, possibly four, living with her, was just so grateful. Part of her household is unemployed.

"An elderly couple on a fixed income from small Social Security payments couldn't say thank you enough," Cook said. "It meant, for them, not having to buy groceries for two to three weeks.

"A lot of people draw less than $1,000 a month from Social Security," Cook said. "It's astounding how they make ends meet."

Nashville-based Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee exists to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in its community. Last year it distributed 1.3 million pounds of fresh produce directly from farms within a 700-mile radius of Nashville, the organization said. One in six Americans is unable to access healthy food to feed their families. That puts them at a higher risk of developing other diet-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Sometimes the Second Harvest Food Bank mobile food pantry truck from Nashville delivers U.S. Department of Agriculture surplus food. As a result, Cook said, recipients must either show their food stamp card or declare themselves indigent to receive food.

She and Joyce Lee, another volunteer, said the food included fresh pears, cabbage, squash, cucumbers, potatoes, bread, canned goods and frozen blueberries and meat, including ham, pork and chicken.

Lee estimated 125-130 people came for food. Cook's estimate was 130-135.