God’s Food Pantry to Re-Open Friday but with Changes in the Manner of Food Distribution

April 14, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

God’s Food Pantry will be open this Friday, April 17th. In consideration of adherence to CDC Corona Virus COVID-19 guidelines, there will be changes in the food distribution process.

(1) Food boxes will be distributed as follows:

(A) 9:00AM to 10:30AM, Only Senior Citizens, 60 years of age and older.

(B) 10:30AM to 12:00 NOON Only persons with Last Names beginning with letters A through M, 59 years of age and younger.

(C) 12:00Noon to 1:30PM Only persons with Last Names beginning with letters N through Z, 59 years of age and younger.

(2) All persons must remain in vehicles and drive to designated pantry door. A food box will be placed in your vehicle by a pantry volunteer.

These operational changes will remain in place until further notice for the twice a month general food pantries.

April 14, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The driver involved in a crash Friday morning on Holmes Creek Road claims he “blacked out” before running into two vehicles parked at a residence.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 28 year old Shawn Edwards of Smithville was traveling north in a  2011 Maroon Nissan Altima when he lost control and ran off the left side of the roadway into the yard of 7978 Holmes Creek Road hitting both a 2008 blue Toyota and a 1972 yellow Ford F100 pickup truck belonging to Troy and Jeanna Bain which were parked in the driveway of the residence. The impact of the crash forced the Toyota into a support beam of the home’s carport. Edwards’ car then struck a tree. Edwards said he blacked out while driving causing him to lose control and run off the roadway. No one was injured.

The accident was investigated by Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

Meanwhile two people were involved in a wreck Sunday night on Barnes Mill Road.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 43 year old Troy R. Walls of Smithville was north on Barnes Mill Road in a 2001 Dodge R1500 pickup truck. 42 year old Shannon N. Walls was a passenger. The weather was stormy at the time and Walls struck a tree that had fallen across the roadway. Shannon Walls was taken by EMS to Ascension St. Thomas River Park Hospital in McMinnville for treatment of suspected minor injuries.

The accident was investigated by Trooper Benny Cannon of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

A Woodbury woman and child received minor injuries in a rollover crash last Monday, April 6 on Highway 146 (Short Mountain Highway).

According to Trooper Bobby Johnson of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, 26 year old Mary Seward was traveling north in a 2001 Chevy when the car went off the right side of the road into a ditch while negotiating a curve. The car then struck a driveway culvert and overturned coming to a final rest on its top in the roadway.

Seward and her passenger, a 6 year old girl, were taken by DeKalb EMS to Ascension St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital for treatment of suspected minor injuries.

April 14, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

A new form of food pantry has started in Smithville to serve the needy especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s called a “Blessing Box” , a miniature outdoor cabinet stocked mostly with non-perishable foods and other essential items, and it has been placed outside the DeKalb County Complex. The Blessing Box is designed for those in the community trying to make ends meet during hard times and anyone needing help or wanting to donate food is encouraged to “Take what you need. Bring what you can. Above all, be blessed. ”

The idea is simple. People place their donations inside the box so people in need can take what they need, anytime of the day or night.

Kristi Longmire got the idea for the project here after seeing it done elsewhere and she enlisted the help of Wesley and Valerie Slager to build the first Blessing Box for DeKalb County.

“I had noticed on facebook and other websites how that Blessing Boxes were popping up all over Tennessee and I thought how great it would be if we had one in Smithville. I am not a builder so I knew I couldn’t build it myself so Valerie Slager contacted me and said she and her husband Wesley would be glad to build a box and donate it. They got it done within a couple of weeks and set it up on Saturday. It is accessible anytime someone needs a little food to help them get by and they can also do it discreetly,” said Longmire.

“Although we have other food pantry programs in DeKalb which are wonderful, sometimes people needing help are reluctant to reach out to them. With the Blessing Box, they can get a few items discreetly, even in the middle of the night if they want to as a way of getting by until they get their next paycheck,” Longmire continued.

The Blessing Box is already having its intended effect.

“Word has already gotten out. Valerie set it up on Saturday. I went by Sunday and it was still full but Valerie checked Monday and it was empty. She filled it back up. Its all on the honor system. People can take what they need from the Blessing Box and people who want to donate to help others are encouraged to stop by and add things to it. We’re going to keep it full and hopefully it will be a blessing to anybody who needs it in DeKalb County,” added Longmire.

Plans are to also place a Blessing Box soon in Alexandria.

“I want to thank County Mayor Tim Stribling. He liked the idea of the Blessing Box and he was nice enough to let us put it at the complex,” said Longmire.

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