Empty and nearly empty shelves in the Cullman Caring for Kids pantry could spell disaster for needy families in the Cullman area.
CULLMAN – Summer can be a busy time at Cullman Caring for Kids (CCK), and the early days of each month always see large numbers of people coming in for help. At maybe the worst possible time, the agency suffered the loss of more than 95 percent of its seasonal reserves. Now, CCK is scrambling to stock its shelves, and is asking for the community’s help.
CCK Director Javon Daniel explained, “We were expecting a pretty good bit of food from the postal workers’ canned food drive, but the food was picked up by the wrong truck and was taken to the Birmingham Post Office. The post office here tried, but they were unable to locate enough to get it back; it had already been dispersed to the food banks in Birmingham.
“We got a little over 300 pounds total from Cullman County, because it was late stuff that came in. Last year, we got 12,900 pounds. We consider this our backup for the whole summer, because donations are so low. What this did was to cut our backup, our plan A and B, right out from under us.”
CCK will go to the North Alabama Food Bank in Huntsville on Monday, and will work with local grocery stores to find the best possible prices for its common staple items. The agency is accepting monetary donations to help with these purchases, and is also accepting donations of goods, including:
- Cereal
- Popular kids’ meal items like mac and cheese, canned spaghetti, ravioli, etc.
- Dry food items such as crackers, rice, and beans
- Canned goods
CCK has seen signs that the community is already stepping up to help. In addition to their regular “Christmas in July” food drive next month, Nathan Anderson and Cullman Parks and Recreation will be asking kids in their Camp Cullman summer program to help collect food; CP&R will also publicize the need through its social media channels.
Developer and Rock the South founder Shane Quick made a substantial monetary donation after learning about CCK and its plight, saying, “I had no idea they made such a massive impact. We were glad to do it. It seems like this city is full of people helping people.”
For more information or to become involved, visit www.cullmancaringforkids.com. Monetary or food donations can be made at the CCK office at 402 Arnold St. NE, Suite W-1.
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