Woodstock Lions Club Foundation works with Elevance Health to distribute produce to those in need

Earlier this year the Woodstock Lions Club Foundation applied for and was awarded a $2,500 grant for the Lions-Elevance Heath Volunteer Days.

With those funds Service Chairman Paul D Smith was able to convince Athena Farms, a wholesale produce company at the Atlanta Farmers Market, to work with our Foundation to provide 2,184 pounds of produce/fruit with the grant money.

Lions' member Gopi Govindaraj and Foundation President Stan Stanly worked with Patrick Arko, Director of St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church's Food Pantry, to gain support for the Pantry to store the product and use the facility to distribute the product to Food Pantry clients on Saturday, October 18th.

On Saturday, October 18th, Lions Stanly and Smith worked with ten Elevance Health employees to separate and pack 100 grocery bags with fresh produce and fruit. In addition to the product in bags, Lion Smith brought index cards, markers, and inspirational stickers. Elevance volunteers fill out the index cards and applied an inspirational sticker to each. An index card was put in each of the 100 bags.

In addition to the wide variety of food items provided by St. Michaels Pantry, approximately 50 pantry clients also received two to four bags of fresh produce and fruit. The clients were thrilled to get the bags of produce and fruit.

The Lions-Elevance Health Volunteer Day was a success.

Thank you to LCIF, Elevance Health for the grant money, Elevance Health volunteers, St. Michael's Food Pantry, and Athena Farms.