Five years ago, McCallie Middle School Head Lynn Goss approached a parent at the school with a proposal.
Kimberly George worked for the Salvation Army and also had a sixth-grade son at the time. Goss knew this and asked if McCallie and the Salvation Army could partner to provide assistance for the community around the holiday season.
This year marks the fifth time the two will provide Thanksgiving dinner to some who otherwise couldn’t afford one. McCallie upper school provides the turkeys and the middle school provides side dishes like potatoes, cranberries and rolls.
Denver Oliver carries barrels to the Salvation Army truck at McCallie Thursday, November 19, 2015. McCallie Middle School and Upper Schools collected Thanksgiving food items for local families.“I think it’s wonderful we have teenagers today that are concerned about the community around them and not just their own little world,” George said.
Originally, the Salvation Army announced 75 families will be given food. But after counting up everything, George said they realized 80 families could be served this Thanksgiving.
Today, McCallie students will load boxes of Thanksgiving food into the cars of the families receiving the food in a kind of “drive-through assistance,” George said.
The majority of families, identified through the Salvation Army’s Social Services Office, are grandparents raising children on a fixed income. Social services officials identify the potential families for McCallie, and the school coordinates what food to bring.
Each grade brings a different side dish so they don’t end up with too much of one meal item. Volunteer work isn’t required by the McCallie School, said Bob Bires, dean of student life, but many do it anyway.
“We do a multitude of service projects,” Bires said. “It’s nice to help in the season of giving.”
Contact staff writer Evan Hoopfer at ehoopfer@timesfreepress.com or @EvanHoopfer on Twitter or 423-757-6731.