A report on the 2022 Good Neighbors project
Dear Friends, Volunteers, Clients, Donors, Contributors, Supporters, and
Interested Public:
As it has since 1935, the Norris Area Good Neighbors provides various forms of assistance to families in the Norris Middle School Area. This past December, the tradition continued as Good Neighbors helped make Christmas better for 258 persons from 115 families. Eighty-nine Christmas Food Baskets were prepared. Instead of a “Basket,” 25--$45 vouchers were provided upon request. Angel Trees provided toys and clothes for 89 children from 41 families (40 of these families also received a Food Basket or voucher).
Good Neighbors Guidelines: A family must reside in the Norris Middle School District to receive assistance. Those who needed food for the Holidays could register for a Food Basket. In addition to the Food Basket, any family with children that met USDA income requirements could request children’s toys and clothes.
Last year’s client families were re-registered by US mail. Potential new qualifying clients were informed of the Good Neighbors offers of food and children’s gifts by public service announcements, posters, exhibits, social media, church newsletters and other means. They could register in-person, by phone, or by email.
Children’s Gifts and Angel Trees: Persons in the community adopted Angels from trees placed in local churches. A special thanks to all who took an Angel and bought the gifts listed on the Angel. Each church had a person responsible for the tree and for all its Angels.
The two Angel Tree Coordinators, assisted by helpers, oversaw planning, coordination, registration, database management, wish fulfillment, “Santa Bag” preparation, and distribution which were done at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Registration and database contents were joint activities with the Food Basket Coordinator.
The School’s Food Drive yielded about 162 milk crates or boxes of non-perishable food (approximately 5,500 items) from Andersonville, Fairview, and Norris Elementary Schools and Norris Middle School. As usual, Food Drive items were shared with the Norris Area Food Pantry and the Community Action Commission. Lisa Barger was welcomed as the new School’s Food Drive Coordinator. The next step was to sort the donated food.
A “Food Basket” consisted of two to five boxes, depending on family size. This year, the baskets were especially large to compensate families for the high prices they must pay at the grocery store. A typical basket for a family of four contained one or more amounts of about 46 different items of canned goods, packaged goods, produce, ham and eggs. These food items were purchased from the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee and locally from Archer’s Food Center of Norris. Each basket also contained various donated packaged goods plus a large box of assorted canned goods collected from the School’s Food Drive.
In producing the Food Baskets, about 88 volunteers from throughout the community, devoted over 360 hours doing tasks such as: advertising, registering, lifting, stacking, sorting, assembling, hauling, filling, loading, and delivering. Overall planning, coordination, and communication took many additional hours. These tasks were performed at the Norris Religious Fellowship.
The group of volunteers included 22 students and four staff from Norris Middle School who helped fill the various food boxes plus six students and four staff from Anderson County High School who helped deliver and move the many boxes to be loaded in client vehicles. This has been an annual event for the schools. A big “Shout Out” to the schools---your help has been crucial. All our volunteers are truly Good Neighbors! Thank you volunteers.
The Good Neighbors Leadership Team and Christmas Project Coordinators thank each of you for your contributions, participation and support! We wish you a safe, healthy, prosperous, and peaceful 2023.
Good Neighbors is an association of Norris Area Churches and others. Leadership is provided by representatives from each church and organization and others who support the mission of Good Neighbors. Funding is entirely from donations which may be sent to Good Neighbors c/o Norris Religious Fellowship, PO Box 267, Norris TN 37828.
Contact the church with questions or comments at 865-494-7131 or if you are interested in volunteering or if your church or organization would like to be part of the Good Neighbors Leadership Team. There will be a series of meetings in January, February and March charting the organization and projects for 2023. All who are interested are invited to participate. Contact the Fellowship.
Robert Gregory
Norris
