Icy roads leave needy families without food
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HENDERSON, Tenn. — An unexpected side effect of the winter weather is a threat of some families going hungry. Margaret Boykin depends on a federal canned food program to get through the month. “I hope I get my juice,” Boykin said. “I hope I get my peanut butter, and I hope they have some meat in a can. They call it pork in a can.” But Thursday’s looming weather has pushed this week’s delivery in Madison County into next week. “The weather is such a moving target that it’s hard to predict and hard to know,” said Mike Smith, executive director for Southwest Human Resources Agency. “We’ve just got to take it as it comes and do the best we can.” Smith said the agency distributes 50-pound boxes of non-perishable foods to families in need through a program known as USDA Commodities. He said the decision to delay deliveries was not an easy one but will keep people safe. “It’s a sad thing to think about somebody going hungry in today’s environment,” Smith said. Boykin said most of her neighbors at McMillan Towers use the program. Smith said Madison County is the largest county they serve with 1,400 households. “I have some peanut butter, and we have some beans left and I have some corn.” Boykin said she has just enough to get her through the weekend but that she hopes the weather is clear for the scheduled Monday delivery. “Just go through the rest of the week and, you know, Monday will be here before you know it,” she said. Smith said more than 8,000 West Tennesseans depend on the program.
