RISON - While the primary focus of the Cleveland County Care Fund this time of year is to help provide Christmas gifts for needy families in the county, the fund also has a mission of making sure children and their families have something to eat throughout the year.
Melinda McKnight with the Cleveland County Care Fund said food distribution is perhaps the biggest single mission for the Care Fund since it used to buy food for children and their families year-round, especially during the summer months.
Many of the recipient families of the Care Fund are on free and reduced lunches at school. When school is out for an extended period of time like Christmas break or the summer break, those students do not have access to the food they would usually depend on when school is in session.
McKnight points out that when the Care Fund distributes the Christmas gifts to families, they also include a food box that includes most of the ingredients needed for a holiday meal. In addition to the usual sides like corn, green beans and yams, McKnight said they also include a ham usually paid for by a local church or Wilson Bros. Lumber.
Much of the food included in those boxes comes from food drives conducted at school. McKnight said the Rison High School Beta Club has conducted a food drive for the past few years that pits one class against another to see which class can get the most food donations. That food is then given to the Care Fund, and McKnight said they use money from the Care Fund to buy any other items needed to fill out a box.
Depending on the size of the family, McKnight some families may get up to two food boxes during the Christmas season. She said the distributions continue throughout the year, and they usually have two food box distributions throughout the summer months since the students are no longer in school.
Each box includes a number of items that do not require any preparation. McKnight said the boxes often include toaster pastries, cereal and other foods that can be eaten right out of the package.
And McKnight notes that the food program works just like the Christmas program in that recipients must be referred to the program by school personnel, a church or the Cleveland County Department of Human Services office. Individuals cannot simply request the services on their own. She also noted that a child must be in the home to be eligible for the food distribution through the Care Fund.
McKnight said most people would be amazed to see the reaction of those children when they get something as simple as a package of cookies to enjoy at home.
McKnight said whatever money they collect through Friday, Dec. 13, will be used for Christmas this year. Donations can be dropped off directly at the Cleveland County Herald office, 215 Main Street in downtown Rison.
The Cleveland County Care Fund operates under the 501(c)3 non-profit tax status of the Pioneer Village at Rison. McKnight said all donations are tax-deductible and checks should be made to Pioneer Village with Care Fund written in the memo line. Donations can be mailed to Melinda McKnight, 10050 Hwy. 35 North, Rison, AR 7166.