“Day of Service” volunteers lend a hand at Loaves and Fishes

Local volunteers for the January 17 “National Day of Service” turned out at Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen to prepare and serve the day’s meal — chili con carne — and accept monetary and food donations for this program, which serves approximately 200 meals a day, six days a week, to Clarksville’s families in need.

Clarksville for Obama coordinated the event, which was designed as part of the President-elect Barack Obama’s commitment to community service. Event coordinator Terry McMoore hosted the event, citing a need for communities to “get back to the basics to make life better for everyone.”

Loaves and Fishes Manager Mike O’Connell was grateful for the outpouring of community support, and accepted a number of monetary donations from the NAACP and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with the stream of food donations.

“Obama himself was very involved with community service as a young man, and his commitment to the concept of this ‘Day of service’ is intended to create more opportunities like for people to become involved,” McMoore said, noting that as ideas ‘come down the Obama pipeline, we will continue to be involved.” McMoore noted that unlike earlier political grassroots organizations, Clarksville for Obama and similar groups across the country will continue to grow and sustain the movement for change that began in the Obama campaign. “There is still a lot of work to be done.

County Mayor Carolyn Bowers, County Trustee Brenda Radford, Senator Tim Barnes, Sheriff Norman Lewis, City Judge Charles Smith, City Councilor Mark Harris and NAACP president and School Board memberJimmie Garland joined a gathering of community and church volunteers to greet donors and visitors, sort donated food, and serve the days meal.

Pat Warner joined Janice and Joe Franklin as part of her church’s Team Hope, one of several church teams that regularly volunteers to work in the Loaves and Fishes kitchen.

“We go out into the community. It’s a way to put our faith in action,” said volunteer Pat Warner.

In the back room, volunteers Reggie Chapman and Noah Gurley helped unload donations and restock shelves. Both young men said their moms were instrumental in their decision to help out.

“My mom told me about this and I thought it was a good thing to do,” Chapman said. Gurley echoed that thought even as he kept on putting groceries away on the Loaves and Fishes shelves.

Photos by Kelly Anne LaPlante