About Feeding The Needy
Feeding the Needy was begun in 2002 by Rotary Club of Covington members John Baldwin and Craig Babylon to provide food on Christmas day for families in need on the Northshore. John and Craig met with Deacon Skip Graffinini, then the executive director of The Covington Food Bank (now The Northshore Food Bank), and learned that The Food Bank was serving around sixty families at that time. John and Craig proposed "Feeding the Needy" to the Rotary Club of Covington as a way to ensure that school children who, while the schools are closed, do not have guaranteed meals, were able to have a true holiday meal and food to last through the school vacation.
Since the project began, volunteers from all over our community join members of the Rotary Club of Covington on December 23 and 24 to prepare Christmas boxes that include a 16 to 18 pound cooked turkey with numerous side dishes and dessert. Each box has enough food to feed a family of four to five; larger families receive additional boxes. On Christmas morning, Rotarians and other community volunteers hand deliver the boxes to the homes of the families identified as in need. The Northshore Foodbank continues to be an important partner and helps to identify families, as do local churches and other partner organizations. Deliveries are made to families throughout the Northshore but primarily in St. Tammany, Washington, and Tangipahoa Parishes. Each family only needs to heat the fully cooked turkey and prepare the side dishes, and it is ready to serve as a substantial Christmas Day meal with plenty of left overs to help on the days leading up to school reopening.
How Can You Help?
FTN relies heavily on financial donations. Because of the support from so many generous volunteers and strong partnerships, FTN is able to operate with minimal administrative costs. Donations for FTN are accepted year round and can be made below.
To Mail a Check: Checks can be made payable to The Covington Rotary Foundation, which is a 501(c)3 foundation with the corresponding tax status. Please mail checks to The Covington Rotary Club, PO Box 541 Covington, LA 70434. Checks can also be dropped off at Baldwin Motors, 1730 N Hwy 190, in Covington.
To Donate On-line: CLICK HERE to make an online donation.
**Coming SOON** information on the return of our Thanksgiving Luncheon which serves as an important fundraiser for FTN.
SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday, November 21, 2023 You will be able to sponsor a full table or purchase single tickets.
In-Person Volunteer Hours: in the weeks prior to Christmas we welcome high school students to assist with data entry and phone calls to those who will receive our Christmas boxes to double-check address and driving instructions. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to COVROTARY@gmail.com
Preparing the boxes: due to COVID we have had to suspend this opportunity. We are hopeful to bring back the December 23 and 24 preparation days although they may look a little different than in years past.
Christmas Day deliveries: again, we hope to bring this back after the COVID years and again, it may be with some significant changes. Watch our facbeook page (Rotary Club of Covington) for updates and information.
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