United Way thankful for volunteers

To the editor:

The United Way of Jay County has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank for many years to provide free food to our community almost once a month.

In 2019, we facilitated 10 tailgate food giveaways.

Because of the many problems brought about by COVID-19, including increased food insecurity, from January 2020 through October 2020 we facilitated 34 tailgates.

According to figures from Second Harvest, we served approximately 14,574 people in 2019. That number jumped to 83,244 over the first 10 months of 2020, which is an increase of 470%. During those months there was an average of 500 vehicles at the tailgates each week.

On behalf of United Way of Jay County, I want to thank Jay County Fair Board for the use of the fairgrounds, including the Farmer’s Building, to the City of Portland for the use of Hudson Family Park and to the City of Dunkirk for letting us use Dunkirk City Park. It is a challenge to find space large enough to hold 500 or so vehicles so that there is not a traffic problem on city streets. A big thank you to Jim Bruner, Billy Sipe, Herb Stratton, Tom Zimmerman and Greg Runyon, who got there early each week to direct traffic.

Also a big thank you to those from the Indiana National Guard, Portland Fire Department and other volunteers who worked tirelessly to serve a huge number of people in a short time each week. You are too numerous to mention individually but please know you are appreciated.

The truck drivers and volunteers from Second Harvest are also to be commended for all of their extra work during a difficult time.

Thank you to those in the community who wait for a long time to pick up food for other family members, neighbors or others who can use the extra food. And thanks to all of you for your patience as you wait in long lines for our awesome volunteers to fill your trunks, back seats or trucks.

And a big thank to The Commercial Review and WPGW for keeping the community informed about the location and time of each tailgate.

We will be on a first and third Wednesday schedule from 10 a.m. to noon for the foreseeable future at the Jay County Fairgrounds. Check The Commercial Review or listen to WPGW in case of any changes to this schedule.

Jane Ann Runyon

Executive director

United Way of Jay County