EDITOR”S NOTE: The Mirror’s Ore City Correspondent, Carol Brock, recently visited the town’s food bank. Here is her report:

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, I had a glimpse of the operations of the Ore City Food Bank. I arrived at 11:30 a.m. and discovered that 119 families had already been served in the first two hours.

The last two hours, folks just trickled in and the well-organized staff took great care of each one. One hundred and forty-four families received food baskets on Tuesday and others will drop in who have needs arising during the month.

Norma Hammond and Misty Garrett worked in the office verifying memberships, issuing new cards, taking prayer requests, making flyers, and doing other administrational duties.

Norma beamed, “It’s exciting that we had 160 families (last month).” And Misty expressed that she comes every month because “it’s fun!”

Kaye Roeder works throughout the month placing orders, helping with pick-ups, bagging food, or whatever needs to be done.

I asked her favorite memory and she told me that when they first opened, there was an elderly couple who actually cried because now they could go and get the rest of their medication.

Randy Walker was there to carry out groceries. He said, “It is a blessing to give and to help!”

Linda Reid has a special job . . . she cooks lunch for the workers. She also does whatever else is needed. She mostly enjoys “satisfying people.”

After checking in, people pass a donation box where they can put in little or none if necessary.

They enter the church sanctuary where the pews are filled with bags stuffed with goodies. Families received bags with groceries and frozen items. The first 90 also got produce. Several meals were included as this bonus to help our neighbors.

Jerri Johnson brought by 80-year-old Mildred Brown who said with a big smile, “I love it. The people are so nice. And I eat it all!”

The Ore City Food Bank is not a ministry of Lakeview Baptist Church, though they facilitate it.

Donations and volunteers are needed from all in the community who can lend a dollar or a hand.

Hard work goes into collecting, sorting, organizing, bagging and distributing this vast amount of food. You can help put meals on our friends’ tables and smiles on their faces.

Call Lyle Potter at 903-841-1297 to see how you can assist.