Arby’s gives $10,000 grant to Food on Foot

Many children are doing without meals during the summer months as school lets out for a vacation.

Hunger doesn’t take a vacation, nor does Tennessee Food on Foot.

This week, the Morristown Arby’s restaurants announced that Food on Foot has been selected for one of 300 grants to be given across the country. A $10,000 grant from the Arby’s Foundation will support Lakeway Area youth. With these funds, Tennessee Food on Foot will be able to provide 3,750 meals to 1,250 children in the Lakeway Area.

Food on Foot Founder/President Carolyn Jarnagin said that these funds will be used to purchase food for children in need.

“We didn’t even have to ask for this grant, but their recommendation was that the Arby’s folks saw the lines at Food on Foot and knows what impact Food on Foot has,” Jarnagin said. “It’s a blessing that will help us so much, especially in the summer when we have a lot more people.”

Jarnagin said that Food on Foot has been around the Lakeway Area for almost 20 years.

“I still envision a world where no child goes hungry. That is a given that we try to get food to those who need it,” she said.

“If everyone would do their part, there would be no one hungry. We need to help them all. We want to make an everlasting difference in their lives. If we keep doing what we’re doing now, our community gets blessed and our volunteers get blessed by helping.

“I’m so happy that God chose us to do what we do. We’re going to keep on keeping on,” Jarnagin said.

In addition to food, Food on Foot provides toiletries, food and backpacks filled with school supplies to underprivileged children and families in the Lakeway Area. Food on Foot also provides 5,000 food bags monthly to many local schools with needy children. Through God’s Grace and the generosity of people, churches, businesses and organizations in the community, Food on Foot has been able to go even further, to fill the critical needs of school children who might not otherwise have access to the tools they need to succeed in school.

Donations help Food on Foot to feed children, the unprivileged families and the homeless in need in the Lakeway Area. Food on Foot operates 100% from donations and volunteers from the community and surrounding areas.

In addition to toiletry bags for children, Food on Foot provides these bags for adults. Food on Foot also helps underprivileged families enjoy Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas with special events. During the year, Food on Foot provides food bags on Saturdays for families in need. Depending on availability, extra items such as bread, milk or produce will be made available on Saturdays.

During the weekly food distribution at Food on Foot’s 1 Berkline Drive location in Morristown, birthday cakes are made available to children who are celebrating their special days that week through Rich’s Foods of Morristown. For many children, this is the only birthday cake they would receive otherwise.

To donate to Food on Foot, mail a donation to P.O. Box 129, Morristown, TN 37813 or call 865-566-5778.