Trafalgar Middle hosts Farm Share event
There was a line as long as a football field at Trafalgar Middle School Saturday, as some of the area’s neediest families gathered as Farm Share held a food distribution event, the first of four to be held at the school this year.
And that’s a good thing because Mother Nature played a big role in keeping many families away. Thankfully, staff was more than willing to help those who stayed.
Many of the school’s staff and parents worked alongside the school’s Kiwanis Builder’s Club, which sponsored the event to distribute nutritious food to people who need it the most.
Allison Traiger, president of the Builder’s Club, said the goal was to give out about 40,000 pounds of food and to make her feel good about helping those in need.
“I just like to give back to the community. Everyone else here wasn’t forced to come. They like helping out, too,” Trager said.
“Our goal is to sponsor and help the community with events as much as possible. We’re mostly students with a few adults,” said Will Holderfield, sergeant-at-arms for the club.
Advisor Al Piotter said he got the idea at a district Kiwanis function in Orlando and thought their schools could do it with its 80 to 90 volunteers.
The Farm Share truck and volunteers arrived at the school at the crack of dawn to help set up and unpack the food. By 9 a.m., there was a line of people waiting to get the items they needed.
Unfortunately, the rains came shortly before 10, sending everyone scrambling to an outdoor covered area at the school.
Builder’s Care had a plan, however. Armed with umbrellas, they escorted people to the covered food distribution area so they could get their food, and even had their cars driven in so they wouldn’t have to walk in the torrential downpours.
Whatever food was left was donated to church organizations and CCMI, as well as given to some of the lower-paid employees at the school.
Toni DiMarzo, the school’s secretary, was distributing orange juice, fruits and vegetables, and yogurt. She said she had to field nearly 600 phone calls concerning the event.
“I think this is great. We were expecting more than 1,000 families today. People asked me how to get here and what they would give out,” DiMarzo said. “I feel blessed to be doing this.”
Trafalgar will host Farm Share events in Dec. 13, Feb. 21 and May 3.
Farm Share is a large-scale food bank and packinghouse that specializes in getting donated fresh fruits and vegetables from Florida’s farmers and getting them to low-income families, according to its website.
Builders Club is a service organization for middle school and junior high students, with more than 45,000 members worldwide. Members learn to work together and develop servant-leaders skills as they serve their school and community, according to its website.
Locally, the kids go to the nursing home, do peer mentoring with the elementary school, help out the Harry Chapin Food Bank with its 20,000-square-foot garden, do community clean-ups and other things.