According to a press release issued by the Liberty County School System the folks from the United Way of the Coastal Empire - Liberty Branch helped pack and hand out more than 24,000 meals to students over the first few days that schools were closed during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Earlier in the week, during a meeting of local leaders, school officials were looking at dates they could realistically begin delivering meals to students when Liberty County United Way director, Jennifer Darsey, spoke up and said they could fill the gaps and feed students this week. 

The release stated the the UWCE had only a few days to prepare, but Darsey gathered her army of volunteers and they began filling bags to feed the students of Liberty County. The LCSS Transportation Department coordinated with the UWCE to utilize school buses to deliver food while close to 290 volunteers gathered over two days at schools and on school buses to hand bags of food to students and parents. 

On Friday, students were even provided extra food to help carry them through the weekend.

“The only way a resource of this magnitude could have served this many children throughout Liberty County is with excellent community collaboration and faithful, incredible volunteers. The United Way of the Coastal Empire is honored to serve the students and families of the Liberty County School System,” Darsey said.  

Arnold Jackson, Chief Operations Officer for Liberty County Schools said, “It was wonderful to see how the school system and the community pulled together so quickly and worked so well together to get our students fed.”

Next week, the LCSS School Nutrition Department will work alongside Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia to continue to provide “grab and go” meals to students both at school sites and at neighborhood bus stops.

For more information, contact Cathy Lane at clane@liberty.k12.ga.us or (912) 321-1942.