Nourish One Child
Nourish One Child (NOC) is an outreach program of Keith Memorial United Methodist Church. This ministry provides weekly food bags to the children of Athens City Schools who would otherwise go an entire weekend without a meal. The program was established in 2012 to feed the many local children who were going hungry on the weekends. NOC is funded by grants and donations from church and community members. The program, founded by Dixie Liner, is managed, organized and maintained entirely by volunteers who create menus, purchase food, pack the weekly food bags, and deliver the bags to each of the Athens City Schools.
NOC FAST FACTS
Approximately 300 Athens City Schools students receive food bags each week during the school year
Each bag contains 10 – 12 nutritious food items, all items are non-perishable and easy to open
The cost of providing one child a weekly food bag for the entire year is $150
Five volunteers plan weekly menus and purchase food items for the bags
More than 100 volunteers assist in packing weekly food bags throughout the school year, including students from North City, Westside and Athens City Middle Schools.
Eight volunteers deliver the food bags to the five schools each week
100% of all donations and grant funds received by Nourish One Child are used to feed hungry children. This program has no other operating costs or expenses beyond the purchase of food.
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT NOURISH ONE CHILD?
As the number of children in need of the weekly food bags increases, so do costs associated with maintaining the program. Keith Church is continuously seeking funding for this program through contributions from members of its congregation, grants from businesses and foundations, and donations from individuals and organizations in our community. To provide financial support: click the DONATE button at the top of the page and include Nourish One Child in the provided memo space. You may also mail a check, made payable to Keith Memorial UMC, to P.O. Box 1, Athens, TN 37371-0001. Please include a note specifying the designation of your contribution or include Nourish One Child on your check’s memo line.
We encourage community groups, organizations and friends to volunteer to assist with packing weekly food bags. If you are interested in volunteering, call the Keith Church office at (423) 745-2612.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF …
Many thanks to these organizations for their monetary support provided through grants. Please click the logo to learn more about each organization.
