A hunger-fighting group based in Lake County is swinging into action quickly to meet humanitarian needs created by the devastating wildfires in eastern Tennessee – blazes that have already claimed at least seven lives, injured 74 others, destroyed over 700 buildings, made hundreds of people homeless, and left thousands without jobs.
Deliver the Difference, which is working to eliminate hunger in central Florida as well as address crisis events, plans to pack and send 20,000 meals to the Gatlinburg, Tenn. area by Dec. 11.
“We need both donations and packing volunteers to make this happen in just a week’s time,” said Deliver the Difference executive director Bob Bostic, “and we know this community’s big, big heart can make that happen.”
DTD needs 84 volunteers to sign up for a food packing event that will take place Saturday, December 10, 9:00-11:00 a.m., at New Leaf Ministries, 1410 East Alfred Street, Tavares. Donations are also urgently needed from individuals, churches, and businesses to help cover the $8,000 cost of the meals and shipping.
“People have lost everything,” Tavares businessman John Ardito said of the Gatlinburg-area residents whose lives and livelihoods have been shattered by the 14-plus wildfires ravaging eastern Tennessee. Ardito’s Mortage Financial Group, one of the funding sponsors for the food-packing event, has an office in Sevierville, Tenn. near the heart of the devastation. The meals will be distributed from Sevierville by a church-based organization.
“We want to be a part of meeting this urgent need,” said DTD director Bostic. “Some people may have insurance, but no one has food insurance, and people who have lost so much need to know that they will not go hungry. We plan to have these 20,000 meals in the affected area the day after they are packed.”
To volunteer for the food-packing event and/or to help fund the meals for wildfire relief, local residents are asked to go to www.DeliverTheDifference.org.
