- Sunday marked the start of a donation drive supporting the Jefferson County Schools Tigers Football team.
- Pastor at Restore Glory Christian Center, Eddie Yon, tells me he decided to set up a table outside his center for neighbors to donate what they can.
- Watch the video above for a closer look at the donation drive.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Putting food on the table.. the Tiger Table that is.
Sunday marked the start of a donation drive supporting the Jefferson County Schools Tigers Football team— that’s 32 bellies that need help staying full.
Eddie Yon, Pastor of Restore Glory Christian Center - “Well the coach came to me and asked me to be the Team Chaplain and I asked him well what do you need and the first thing he said was food.”
Pastor at Restore Glory Christian Center, Eddie Yon, tells me he decided to set up a table outside his center for neighbors to donate what they can.
Yon - “You know things like fruit, breakfast bars, granola bars, crackers with peanut butter and cheese”
Shaundra Buggs, Assistant Athletic Director at Jefferson County Schools - “The kids are stronger this year because we also have incorporated a weight lifting program.”
Assistant Athletic Director Shaundra Buggs tells me a long day of school and practice means it’s a challenge to keep these young athletes energized.. and inflation isn’t helping.
Buggs - “With two parents that are actively in their lives, it’s still a struggle. Things are going up as far as the cost of food.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the food-at-home consumer price index increased 0.3% from June to July and was 1.1% higher than it was last year.
Buggs - “The school does their share, the parents do their share, the coaches do their share and so we’re asking the community to come out and do their share as well.”
I caught neighbor Otis Norton in the middle of doing just that.
Otis Norton, Neighbor - “I brought gatorades, I brought some snacks for the kids of the football team.”
He tells me inflation is hard on everyone but it won’t stop him from supporting an initiative like this.
Norton - “Everybody needs some help sometimes and their coach is trying to do a good thing and them kids— they’re grinding. So, anything I can do to help them, I’m going to do that.”
Buggs - “When they feel better, when they’re fed, when they’re uniform, when they look alike— that Tiger pride is back.”
And Sunday’s turnout is a clear sign that Tiger pride is here to stay, with the help of the community.
Yon - “I believe we’ve got enough to get them through maybe the first week, but it doesn’t stop this week so we need that continuous support!”
