WILMINGTON — Since 2012, the local chapters of two international service clubs - the Whitingham-Halifax Lions and the Deerfield Valley Rotary - have been working together to bring light and joy to hundreds in the Deerfield Valley who are in need of food.
Their December 2016 “Holiday Food Basket” project proved to be their largest joint endeavor to date.
On a very snowy Dec. 17, Lions & Rotarians spread out from Halifax to Wardsboro to deliver food to more than 150 families, and visited an additional 66 individuals with cheer-up poinsettias.
This year, the Readsboro Lions also joined in and made food deliveries to more than a dozen families there. All told, the groups served 500 people.
Volunteers from the clubs spend hundreds of hours each year raising money, organizing, and carrying out the program goals. A large part of their fundraising efforts is focused on the Hungry Lion Bike Tour, which is held the last Saturday of September.
This year, between local partners and cyclists and their sponsors, the Tour netted $25,000 to help fund anti-hunger projects and other important programs in the Valley.
Literally tons of food staples are distributed to people in need. Much of the food is purchased from the Vermont Food Bank, which gives the clubs terrific value and allows organizers to provide each family with plenty of nutritious food.
“It feels good to give back to such a loving community,” said Lions club member Jennifer Betit-Engel. “Many folks are very proud and would have a hard time asking for help - those are the ones who we try to target the most.”
She said the “all hands on deck” approach from the local Lions and Rotary clubs, plus “some incredible volunteers from the community” made a huge job manageable.
According to volunteer drivers who delivered the goods, recipients were overjoyed at receiving food baskets.
One woman in a walker said “this was the best Christmas present ever!” When asked if she wanted help putting away the groceries, she said, “No, this will take me all day, but I can't wait to fill my cupboards.”
Another said, “I can't believe anyone knew I was here. I'm so tickled! Merry Christmas indeed.”