Spirits were high but so was the mercury at the Pierce County Food Pantry's drive through event last Friday. Vehicles gathered in the empty field behind where the Grady Street school used to stand and volunteers gathered in the Blackshear Church of God's parking lot, all simmering underneath the pitiless summer sun.
Bananas, watermelon, corn, eggplant, bell pepper, green beans, bread, canned goods and more were distributed to a seemingly endless string of cars exiting the crowded field and making their way down the merciful shade of Johns street before turning right and emerging back into the unfiltered rays of the sun.
There were the usual snags and hiccups. Some drivers did not have their forms properly filled out, a missing phone number here, an unsigned paper there. A rare few exceeded the income requirements set to qualify for nutrition assistance. But the biggest hurdle to overcome was the omnipresent heat.
Several volunteers were rendered nearly prostrate by the scorching temperatures, requiring those still standing to shuffle spots and re-man the various stations as those who needed to sit in the shade and re-hydrate took well deserved breaks. Before it was all over, even Brenda Sutton, manager of the Pierce County Food Pantry and organizer of the drive through, was red-faced and streaming with sweat, sticking as much as she could to the shade of an awning except to dart out and review drivers’ paperwork before waving them on.
The bread station ran out first, but the event continued, lasting as long as the supplies held out. Not every vehicle was served, but as many households as possible were helped as much as possible until the next time. Regular nutrition assistance will resume this week at the food pantry’s regular location adjacent to the Pierce County Senior Center at 713 Hendry Street in Blackshear. Please call 912-288-2288 for more information.
