With ample support, including from the Booker T. Washington High School girls’ basketball team, the Women’s Foundation of Greater Memphis’ South City Mobile Food Drive recently came through – again – for the residents of ZIP code 38126.
Volunteers provided families with food, household essentials and resources with the holiday season in mind. It was a drive-thru affair held at co-sponsor STREETS Ministries location at 430 Vance Avenue last Friday (December 1).
“The Women’s Foundation is happy to support the families in ZIP Code 38126,” said Shante K. Avant, WFGM President and CEO.
“It’s part of our mission and our vision to reduce poverty in one of the poorest ZIP codes in the city of Memphis.”
FedEx, Memphis Shelby County Schools, Urban Strategies were among the sponsors helping WFGM support the families in the 38126 community.
“We know there is a lot of need,” Avant said. “Today we will support 400 families.”
WFGM started the mobile food drive in 2020 when the pandemic hit.
“We saw a real need from people suffering from food insecurity,” added Avant. “We’ve been doing these quarterly since the pandemic.”
Long lines spoke to the need.
“We understand and want to provide not only food for our families but dignity in this process. It’s not easy to come and ask for help. We want to make sure families know we are here to support them, that the Women’s Foundation will continue to care for them and do what we can to continue to support this community.”
WFGM has focused on reducing poverty in 38126 since 2015 and continues that mission through its Vision 2025 Strategic Plan, which includes an emphasis on increasing investment in South City.
Since the pandemic’s onset, the WFGM team and volunteers have distributed food, household products, and personal care supplies to over 2,500 families.
Additional sponsors were Baptist Memorial Healthcare, Bare Needs Diaper Bank, International Paper, Memphis Housing Authority, Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare, Mid-South Food Bank, Nike, RISE Foundation, SCORE CDC, and Urban Strategies
(For more information, visit wfgm.org.)
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