CULLMAN, Ala. – Rock the South (RTS) on Friday presented a $6,500 donation to Cullman Caring for Kids (CCK) to help with COVID-19 relief. RTS Director of Partnerships Casey Jones made the presentation to CCK Assistant Director Nancy Bryant.
In making the presentation, Jones said, “We want to thanks everyone who decided to donate their ticket refunds. There’s so many other organizations that aren’t able to receive the help that we usually give people, since we had to cancel this year; it’s a lot of donation money lost. We’re thankful that we were able to do even just this much, and there’s more to come. And we’re thankful, as I said, again to our ticket buyers for donating their refund and helping us help you guys out.”
Bryant said, “That was very generous of everyone to donate this to a worthy cause, because we are open; Cullman Caring for Kids has never shut their doors and never will shut their doors. We are alive and we are doing well here at the food bank, and we want everyone to know that, if you are in need of food- we know it’s a crisis at this time- we know that people are needing extra food: children are home, you can’t get everything you need at the grocery store. But we are able to give you that emergency food bag of food that so generously- everyone in this community’s giving to help us to support those people that are hungry, that they just need that little extra boost in their pantry.”
CCK had to suspend food distribution for a few days recently, while staff worked out a plan for safe food distribution, but had to respond to questions about its status after a local blogger erroneously reported that CCK had shut down.
Donations accepted
While CCK accepts a wide variety of donations, the pantry’s greatest needs right now include peanut butter, jelly and canned goods.
While those might be the most crucial shortages, Bryant said, “We just need a little bit of everything, because kids are out of school and people are home from work. We just need food. Pastas would be great, cereal is great, mac and cheese is always great. We need any kind of protein that people can give. Peanut butter is always great, because you can make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”
Food donations can also be dropped off at the CCK office, 402 Arnold St. NE, on weekday mornings, though donors will not be able to bring items inside the building. Items should be dropped off at the curb. Staff on duty can give receipts if requested.
If you come to get food from the CCK pantry
CCK’s food pantry is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
If you visit CCK to get groceries from the food pantry, you will pull your car outside the building and pantry staff will bring food bags out to the curb. Once staffers return to the building, you will then be able to get the bags and take them with you. It is imperative that you remain in your vehicle until the bags have been brought outside. Director Javon Daniel emphasized that staff and volunteers cannot hand off bags face to face or bring bags out if a person is standing outside their car.
Daniel said, “We cannot, for the safety of the staff and the people coming to the food bank, we cannot have them getting out of their cars while we are outside. They need to stay in their cars until they’re instructed to come out and load their food.”
For more information on Cullman Caring for Kids, including an opportunity to make monetary donations online, visit www.facebook.com/CullmanCaringForKids/ or www.cullmancaringforkids.com, or call 256-739-1111.
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