Oklahoma FCCLA Surpasses Goal to Feed the Children

Raising enough money to fill two semitrailers with food for the national FCCLA Feed the Children Campaign was the Oklahoma FCCLA goal. After all was said and done, $24,340 was raised filling three semitrailers – enough food for a total of 1,200 families of four.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is the career and technology education student organization affiliated with CareerTech’s Family and Consumer Sciences Education program sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Nationally, the two-year campaign raised more than $218,000 in the first year. Because of the state’s success, Oklahoma will be recognized at the National FCCLA Convention in Orlando, Fla. on July 15 where the last of the three trucks will be unloaded.

On June 19, FCCLA “rookie” members new to the organization in chapters across the state partnered with Stillwater’s “Christo’s Community” to distribute the contents of the second truck at the Oklahoma State University campus as part of FCCLA Rookie Camp. Rookie Camp is for first-year members to learn more about FCCLA, leadership skills and community service.

Stillwater churches joined Christo’s Community to spread the word to local families about the food distribution. Christo’s Community Director Scott Shaefer was there to oversee the event with members of the Oklahoma FCCLA organization.

“Each box of food contains non-perishable items that are simple to make,” Shaefer said.

Feed the Children representative Chelsi Pitman said, “[Each family] receives a food box, a hygiene box, water and chips.”

Sheila White, one of the recipients, was relieved to hear about the truck.

“I was at the First Christian Church and they had informed me about it,” White said. “Living at minimum is hard when you have children to feed and you’re running a household.”

Sara Wion, another recipient, was so grateful that she asked to shake the hands of the people responsible.

“I got a divorce and have three kids. It’s hard to pay bills and feed the kids when you only get $637,” Wion said. “We have very little. I think all we have is eggs and a gallon of milk.”

In Orlando, the last of the three trucks will be unloaded and food given to local families.

“Oklahoma did so well, in part, because Feed the Children is based in Oklahoma,” FCCLA State Adviser Denise Morris said. “Also, chapters worked behind the scenes to get the job done. Members were loading food and working with people to make sure their goal was met. Advisers and students said it was easy to raise the money and to get volunteers involved.”
           
Oklahoma FCCLA distributed the first truckload of food on April 4 during the organization’s spring conference.

“The distribution of food went smoothly,” Morris said. “Oklahoma FCCLA members worked with the Salvation Army to provide vouchers for families of four. It took an hour and a half to distribute a semiload of food.”

FCCLA President Jackson Alexander said the Oklahoma FCCLA is thrilled about this project.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Feed the Children,” Alexander said. “A combination of fundraising, donations from chapter accounts and penny wars at local schools really brought this together.”

“We figured out that $7,200 would fill a truck and that would feed 400 families,” Alexander said. We divided it up and with the 431 chapters in Oklahoma we would just need $16.71 from each to fill a truck. We ended up filling three trucks full of food.

“While Oklahoma was first in the nation for donations, Virginia came from behind to be No. 1 this year.”

Alexander sees this not only as a good cause, but a challenge for a good cause.

“We will not settle for second place,” Alexander said.

*See photo gallery of event here

Posted June 23, 2008

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