Members of the Rotary Club of Bearden traded their regular Saturday routines for crates, canned goods, potatoes, and plenty of hands-on service Aug. 22 at FISH Hospitality Pantry in Knoxville.
The Bearden Rotary volunteers worked from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Northwest FISH Pantry and food warehouse, 122 W. Scott Ave., helping prepare and distribute food to families coming through the pantry.
More than 200 families came through the line Saturday, according to information provided to the club following the service project.
There was plenty of work to go around.
Volunteers helped set up food displays, repack bulk food and assist pantry guests as they selected groceries. Those are among the regular jobs volunteers perform at FISH, along with greeting people who come for assistance.
But the mission is about more than filling grocery bags.
“We are about treating pantry guests in a nonjudgmental, respectful way that is as nourishing as the actual food people receive,” pantry organizer Jim told the Rotary volunteers before Saturday’s project.
That philosophy made the project a natural fit for Rotary’s commitment to “Service Above Self.”
Organized in 1959, the Rotary Club of Bearden brings together professionals, business leaders and community members for fellowship, networking and service. The club supports local charitable organizations, educational initiatives and youth leadership programs as well as international service projects.
Saturday’s group included multiple generations, with Rotarians working alongside family members and younger volunteers. They moved crates of bread, sorted and prepared food, handled large bags of potatoes, and helped organize the pantry for the steady stream of guests.
The Northwest Fish Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the fourth Saturday of the month.
For the Bearden Rotary volunteers, Saturday offered a simple reminder that community service doesn’t always require a complicated project. Sometimes it means showing up, rolling up your sleeves and spending four hours helping neighbors put food on the table.
The Rotary Club of Bearden meets every Friday, 12:15 p.m. for a luncheon meeting/program at Bearden Banquet Hall, 5806 Kingston Pike, 37919. All guests are welcome. Contact Joseph Pace with membership questions: here.
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