By Linda Beatty

NEWSOMS

A large check — in both size and amount — was recently presented to Meherrin Elementary School Principal Rickeita Jones for the school lunch program. Since September 2018, the members of GFWC Tarrara Woman’s Club have been collecting loose coins and bills at meetings for their Change4Change Project.

In previous years the money collected was used to provide food baskets at Easter for local residents. This year, however, after President Laurel Livingston learned of the past-due lunch accounts at the elementary school, she suggested that the club use the money to help defray that indebtedness.

Some residents of Boykins contributed after hearing about the worthwhile project. Several articles in The Tidewater News confirmed that this was a problem not only at this school, but also at others in Southampton County and neighboring Isle of Wight County.

The members voted to direct their collection to that cause, and Linda Beatty offered to take the idea to the Boykins Lions Club to see if they would be willing to participate as they had in the past for Easter food baskets. The Lions Club agreed to match whatever funds the club was able to collect, and several of their members even sent checks to be included in the match.

Lion Rick Francis reached out to several employees of Southampton County and they sent generous donations. All together, the total donation was $600 to be matched by the Lions Club, making the check amount $1,200. According to Jones, that will pay off most of the indebtedness of the top five accounts that are behind in the lunch program.

Angela Sproul, newly employed as the county schools food service supervisor, expressed her appreciation for the club’s support and attended the presentation as well as Dr. Carolyn Modlin, the Boykins member of the county school board. Modlin had recently presented a program to the Woman’s Club and was very interested in the club project.

This was a win-win project for all involved: Clubs, donors, county and school, but especially the children. It also proves the theme that Livingston chose for her administration: “The Sky is the Limit,” even for a small club with seven members. The orange ribbon worn by her is in loving memory of Fran Edwards, a club member and state president whose state project was helping feed the hungry.