12/9/09 | Memphis, TN
On a cold and clear Saturday morning, approximately 150 residents in the Annesdale-Snowden Neighborhood Association started their day by filling white plastic bags with non-perishable foods and gently used clothing to help restock the FirstWorks Food Pantry and Clothes Closet.
FirstWorks, a 501 C 3 mission for at-risk children and their families from downtown Memphis, is located at Union Avenue United Methodist Church. The mission includes an after school academic program for children and youth and a MIFA food pantry and clothes closet.
This is the second annual food / clothing drive organized by Ian Randolph, a resident in the neighborhood and FirstWorks board member, and JoAnne Turnage, president of the Annesdale-Snowden Neighborhood Association.
Neighbors were sent an email by Ms. Turnage asking them to consider contributing to this worthwhile endeavor. And to make it as easy as possible and encourage participation, grocery bag, donated by Schnuck's Grocery, were left on each porch the Friday before the Saturday morning pick up.
Ian Randolph and his daughter, Amira, drove from house to house Saturday morning collecting bag after bag of non-perishable food, disposable diapers, clothing and cash donations.
The unselfish generosity of the Annesdale-Snowden neighbors will help feed and clothe hundreds of inner city families during these cold winter months.
Ian Randolph is available to help other neighborhood associations organize their own food / clothing drives for FirstWorks. If your neighborhood is interested, please contact Mr. Randolph through Rev. Birgitte T. French, FirstWorks Executive Director, at 901.526.8228 or visit www.firstworks.org.