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It started as a competition between East Ridge and West View middle schools Junior Beta Clubs in 2020 before COVID-19 hit.

Now, East Ridge holds a competition for collection of food for Tennessee Food on Foot Foundation each year. This year’s competition involving the 157-student Junior Beta Club resulted in collection of more than 3,700 food items.

“They’re wonderful. Those students are really wonderful,” Food on Foot Founder/President Carolyn Jarnagin said.

Monday, the Food on Foot van came to pick up the items. Tuesday, the ERMS Junior Betas came to the Food on Foot headquarters at 1 Berkline Drive to put together the food bags that will go home on Friday afternoons for students battling food insecurity.

“We picked the food up one day, then the next day, the kids came to put the food into bags for the students,” Jarnagin said. “Right after the holidays, we don’t get a lot of help.”

East Ridge Junior Beta Club is sponsored by Dr. Laura Fleenor, who also came with the students Tuesday to pack the weekend bags.

“She doesn’t just tell them what to do, she rolls her sleeves up and works with the kids,” Jarnagin said. “She leads by example.”

Fleenor said that after COVID-19, the school started its food collection and has been going ever since.

“We go once a month to Food on Foot, generally about five to 10 of us to pack the bags,” Fleenor said. “We have two kids who used to be recipients, but they enjoy going back to pay it forward for when they received bags.

“When we do this, it’s a competition at our school,” Fleenor said. “When you bring a 40-pack of water, that’s 40 points, a six-pack of ramen noodles and so on.”

Jarnagin knows of several students who were once recipients of the weekend food bags who don’t have to have them anymore and want to help other students.

“These kids love helping other children,” she said. “They know that the food they take up and about the bags. They’re delighted to do this because some of their peers are getting helped.

“One of the girls from East Ridge used to get a bag when she was in elementary school,” Jarnagin said. “She told me and her teachers what the bags meant to her. She helped to pack the bags and was meticulous to make sure the bag was full and had everything that needed to be in it.”

Jarnagin said that Food on Foot will celebrate its 16th Anniversary in April.

“I have seen firsthand what Food on Foot means to the community,” Jarnagin said. “It’s just a blessing. God has been so good to us all the way.

Meanwhile, ongoing food drives are also being conducted by both Manley Elementary and Primary schools, West View Middle School and Fairview-Marguerite Elementary School. To donate to Food on Foot, mail a check to P.O. Box 2129, Morristown, TN 37816. Call 865-566-5778.