It was a special week!
This week was incredible for all the staff members at Rural Resources. We officially cut the inauguration ribbon of the Farm and Food Education Center!
As many of our members and sponsors have experienced for the past 10 years, it has been an extensive struggle to secure the means to build a place that would meet the basic needs for promoting agricultural education in eastern TN.
We have been incredibly blessed to have our staff so committed, working shoulder to shoulder to take our programs forward. With scarce resources they have worked to offer education and coaching to teens and members of the community.
We would have never arrived here without the sweat and tenacity of our staff.
Today we want to publicly thank Debbie Strickland for developing, implementing and giving continuous support to each of the teens who have gone through the "Farm and Food Teen Training Program" 179 effectively until 2017. All these teens have a relationship of trust with Ms. Debbie, she is sweet and caring but is also strict and manages to keep them accountable of their actions.
Also we want to give a great Shout Out to Rhonda Hensley who in charge of the Outreach programs has built a great relationship in the community interacting in the low income neighborhoods whom every month are looking forward to see her! She brings hope with her visits by distributing produce, a smile, a kind word or a little bit of advice and empathy in the situation they live in each day. Is not easy! Rhonda not only prepares the volunteers for food distribution, and loads hundreds of pounds of produce but helps these people implement means to get the most out of what they receive every month. She has taught them over the years to preserve by canning excess fruits and vegetables on the few occasions when they have received more than they can consume without perishing. She helps them by promoting education and supports them not to beat themselves but to continue in perseverance.
This week was incredible because we have the opportunity to celebrate! Next week will be a new story, we will continue the campaign to find more resources that will allow us to keep the programs open and we ask God to bless and illuminate the way to continue connecting Farms, Food and Families