Union County High School’s Horace Maynard FFA Chapter is diligently active in community service work amongst members. One of their projects is the backpack program or Food for Kids. Members, alongside Advisor John Fugate, provide backpacks to 160 students at all five of the county’s elementary schools, as well as the middle school, on a weekly basis to subside food shortages over the weekend to students who may have the need.

The nearly decade-old program continues to thrive and grow in support. Recently, agriculture partners from the community gathered at the school to present the FFA chapter with a $2,700 donation from Shooting Hunger to support the program and the youths it serves in the county. The donation is a joint effort between Tennessee Farm Bureau, Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, and Farm Credit Mid-America/Rural 1st with monies raised at Shooting Hunger Sporting Clays events held across the state. The organizations pull together to feed neighbors as the slogan states.

Presenting the check to FFA leaders Jared Barbee and Trent Jones were: Ben Bradley, Farm Credit Service of Mid-America/Rural 1st; Pam Phipps, Union Farmers Cooperative; Eddie Simpson, Union County Farm Bureau Board President; Cody Brown, Farm Bureau Agency Manager; Ava Padgett, Farm Bureau Secretary; Logan Browne, TN Farm Bureau Regional Field Director; and Ashley Mike, Farm Bureau District all Woman.

This year’s Shooting Hunger event in East Tennessee will be held on November 2, 2023 in Kodak at Iron Mountain Sporting Clays. If you would like more information on attending or entering a four-person team, visit https://www.shootinghunger.com/index.php/locations/east-tennessee or call 931-388-7872 extension 2223.