Can-do for Blount

Photo by Leslie Karnowski

Larry Ladd, left, Community Food Connection of Blount County special projects director, and Kroger grocery manager Larry Hitch restock a pallet of canned goods for people to purchase and then donate to the Community Food Connection.

Photo by Leslie Karnowski

Lending a helping hand for area needy are, from left, Larry Ladd, special projects director for Community Food Connection of Blount County; Bill Roark, Tami Anderson and volunteer Chris Hurley.

Residents turned out to support area needy last weekend when Community Food Connection of Blount County held a three-day fundraiser at Kroger in Maryville.

Community Food Connection special projects director Larry Ladd said supporters exceeded the organization’s goal for the weekend. “We blew out our goal of $15,000 and raised $18,500 in food donations,” he said. “We did approximately $1,200 in money donations.”

Ladd said they had close to 75 volunteers who helped hand out fliers, pick up and deliver food to their warehouse, sort and stock food and coordinate activities. “It was a real team effort. We had everybody from Troop 87 Boys Scouts, senior citizens, business men and women who took time out on Friday to help work,” he said. “We had teens from two or three high schools and middle schools in addition to a multitude of volunteers from area churches who worked at the warehouse and delivered for us.”

Ladd said the Community Food Connection has been operating since 1991 and since November of 2008 they’ve been helping 5,000 individuals a month. “In that mix are well over 1,000 children who are helped each month,” he said.

Ladd, who worked each day of the event, was happy with the turnout and the amount raised. “Our next food drive will be April 3 through 5 at the Browns Creek Food Lion. Anybody wanting to help can call me at 865-984-6688,” he said.