Members of First United Methodist Church, along with volunteers in the community, fill enough bags with food to feed 30 children per weekend.
The FUEL program (Full Uv Emmaeus Love) targets children whose main source of food may be the lunch they receive at school.
It may be hard to believe, but there are children in Warren County who do not eat between lunch on Friday and breakfast on Monday.
The FUEL program places food in the backpacks of children on Friday afternoons.
Jane Tramel of First United Methodist Church said volunteers help her and members of her church fill 90 bags every three weeks. Thirty bags are sent out each week to students. The bags are filled with 16 items such as juice, cereal bars, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers, pudding, applesauce, cookies and gummies.
“We have a small grant that helps pay for the food, but it is very small,” said Tramel. “We rely on people in the community and various churches in the community to help supply food for this program. This is not strictly a United Methodist program. All kinds of churches help. The children who receive this food could be anyone’s child.”
Tuesday afternoon Tramel had help from her husband Wink, Linda Horne and members of the Pioneerettes Dance Team.
Pioneerette Booster Club community service chairperson Shelia Caldwell said, “Helping with this project is a way for our girls to give back to the community that supports them so well. They may have friends who need this food. It is good for them to be able to help especially with a project like this where they may know the child who needs it.”
After filling the bags, the volunteers gathered around while Wink Tramel led a prayer and asked for blessings over the children who will receive the food. He also asked for blessings for the many volunteers who either sent money to help pay for the food or who actually touched the food while bagging it.
Jane Tramel said any donations to help continue the FUEL program would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be sent to: FUEL Program, c/o First United Methodist Church, 200 West Main Street, McMinnville, TN 37110.