To me, one of the most important things is for families to help each other. This includes families of communities. Maybe that's why I'm so proud of the Oak Ridge District of the United Methodist Church?
In July 2010, the United Methodist Men partnered with the Society of St. Andrew to bring a tractor trailer full of watermelons to Beaver Ridge UMC. At about 7:15 am that Saturday morning the church parking lot was bustling with activity. Volunteers came from all over the district to unload watermelons and carry them back to their communities.
Campbell County, Tennessee is one of the poorer of the state's counties. Parts of the county would be considered remote by many. Towns include Caryville, Jacksboro, LaFollette and Jelico. None of these cities are easily found on a map.
A group of 7 were at the drop site in Knoxville to bring watermelons home. The fruit filled the bed of more than one pickup truck. In all, over 100 melons were brought back to Jacksboro. The church had no problem finding families who needed the watermelons.
The following is a YouTube movie of the pick-up. (To protect the privacy of recipients the distribution of the melons at local churches is not shown.) You'll be able to sense the enthusiasm as volunteers from several towns and communities gathered to help one another. In all, as many as 4,000+ melons were given to people who need them. That's what I call teamwork.
Fruit is always a treat for families in poverty. Only rarely are fresh items ever given in a food pantry box. This makes the watermelon drop all the more meaningful.
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Examiner - Watermelon Drop
