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Participants in Feed the Need’s Putnam Teens Fighting Hunger event pack food for area children earlier this month. -
Volunteers packed more than 25,000 bags of food for area children for Feed the Need of Putnam County. -
Positively Putnam, FL
By Bailey Brown
Special to the Daily News
Earlier this month, several Putnam County residents and groups joined together to pack more than 25,000 bags of food in only two hours during the third Teens Fighting Hunger event.
The event supported Feed the Need of Putnam County.
Thirteen groups participated along with other members of the community who volunteered.
More than 150 teens were present and a total of about 200 people helped pack bags of food that will go to needy students in Putnam County.
To make the night successful, 10 people were at each table, which had either oatmeal or macaroni and cheese.
Filled bags were weighed at about 252 grams.
What sounds like an involved process turned out to be a fun activity with people helping those in need in the community. Whenever a group finished filling one bag, they would ring their cowbell.
Each person had lots of fun doing so by adding their own flare to the ringing.
The community involvement made Feed the Need Executive Director Denise Bramlitt proud.
“What impressed me the most was seeing the different youth organizations come together in Putnam County and work together for one cause – feeding children,” Bramlitt said.
Feed the Need holds food-packing events often and has continued to during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bramlitt said she and each volunteer of Feed the Need have made sure each event is completed safely and efficiently.
“Teens Fighting Hunger continued their packing events throughout the whole COVID-19 pandemic,” Bramlitt said.
Feed the Need is a 100% volunteer-based organization as well as a 501(c)(3) organization.
It currently serves 13 schools in Putnam County, providing children with food for after school and weekends. The program also provides food during summer months to students who are in need.
Bramlitt said Feed the Need has more than 800 students identified in the program. When the 2020-2021 school year started, 60% of those students were identified to date.
When students went to Option 2, or online schooling, it caused some of them not to be identified for the program.
If a child needs food, Feed the Need asks parents to please contact the school where they are enrolled and request the weekend food.
Food or monetary donations can be dropped off at Bramlitt’s Plumbing and Electric, 170 N. State Road 19, in Palatka.
Donations can also be mailed to P.O. Box 1321, Palatka, FL, 32178. For more information, contact Bramlitt at 937-3862.
Bailey Brown is a senior at Palatka High School interning for the Palatka Daily News.