Four Community Relations women who are still volunteering: Carol Rogers and Sandy Conwell with Our Daily Bread (back row) and Honee Berlin and Karen Brannon with Denton Community Food Center (front row)
Sharon Foy
…the tough get going! This best describes the Robson Ranch Women’s Club community relations committee. Nanci Odom (community relations chairperson) and 68 committee members have not let an international pandemic stop them from making a difference in our Denton community. These ladies continue to volunteer on the front lines and behind the scenes at the Women’s Club designated charities: Our Daily Bread, Monsignor King Outreach Center, Denton Community Food Center, and Friends of the Family.
COVID-19 has changed the clients’ needs, thus requiring changes in how the charities operate. For example, Our Daily Bread now prepares three meals a day for their clients and has gone to a “food-to-go” model. In addition, Our Daily Bread also prepares three meals daily for the Monsignor King Outreach Center clients.
The Denton Community Food Center (DCFC) has changed their model to a “drive by and pick up” model and each family receives the same food assortment. The number of families the DCFC serves has increased from 25-30 families/per day to 120 families/per day on the days the DCFC is open. It is important to note that grocery store donations to the DCFC have decreased because the grocery chains have more demand, therefore, less excess inventory.
While the Community Relations committee members have been sheltering in place, they have filled 500 bottles with laundry detergent for Our Daily Bread and continue to donate food and other miscellaneous items. The donated items include cases of power and breakfast bars, non-dairy milk, Vienna sausages, tuna pouches and other protein sources, applesauce, fruit cups, peanut butter, jelly, nuts, peanut butter crackers, potato chips, sandwich bags, styrofoam containers, cutlery, and more. It also should be noted that several of the committee members continue to volunteer at Our Daily Bread and the Denton Community Food Center.
In addition, two Community Relations committee members have teamed up with the Robson Ranch Material Girls (sewing, quilting, and machine embroidery club) and together they made and donated 192 masks to Our Daily Bread and the Denton Community Food Center. The Material Girls also donated 150 masks to AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals and, in turn, AstraZeneca donated $5,000 to the Denton Community Food Center. What an enormous effort from these wonderful volunteers!
Over the next few months, the Women’s Club community relations committee will partner with Friends of the Family and focus on getting ready for the annual Back to School Backpack and School Supplies Donations Drive in August. The committee members also will begin thinking about the holiday initiative which includes members adopting families and donating gifts and food so struggling families can celebrate the holiday season.
For more information, including needs for any of these charities, go to their websites.
If you are interested in participating in the Robson Ranch Women’s Club Community Relations committee, contact Nanci Odom at [email protected].