summer 2024: 27,056 Meals Distributed in Pleasantville
In the summer of 2024, PvilleYI partnered with Knoxville Food Youth Initiative and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church to serve the teens in our community with meals. Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from June 3rd to August 2nd, our volunteers worked together to serve an average of 200 bags per day. Each bag contained 4 to 6 meals for each child and teen.
In total, we distributed 5,794 bags.
This means that we distributed 27,056 meals to children and teens in Pleasantville!
We believe the success of the program in Pleasantville is in part due to our efforts to reduce the stigma associated with participating in a food distribution program. Our volunteers go above and beyond to greet children and make sure they feel seen and worthwhile, even if it’s only a brief interaction. We take time to welcome families with a warm smile and a kind greeting.
We are so grateful that we were able to work with KFYI and St. Paul’s UMC to provide this much needed service to our community!
Chick-fil-a christmas dinner 2024
What a FUN NIGHT! We had so much fun serving these teens tonight! Chick-fil-a, Christmas Tree Cakes, Sparkling Cider, and PRESENTS! A room filled with JOY. Teens were welcomed into a room decorated with lovely tables and candle-lit dinner. They remained seated as our volunteers served them their meals, drinks, and desserts. Then we passed out gifts for everyone! Each box contained fun novelty items for the teens to enjoy together. One item that was included was a retro WWJD bracelet (what would Jesus do).
Our goal for this event was to allow the teens to be served by us with no expectations from them whatsoever. We spent time talking with teens at each table and were able to encourage them. There was a lot of laughing, and a lot of fun!
Thanks to Marcy Pettyjohn for donating all the little paper ”crackers”, and to St. Paul’s UMC for the use of your Family Life Center!
16,040 Meals Distributed: Summer 2022
This Summer, we helped distribute 16,040 meals to Pleasantville Kids and Teens! A total of 4,010 Bags were passed out, each containing two breakfasts and two lunches. Knoxville Food Youth Initiative has worked so hard to meet Pleasantville’s requested numbers, and we were so blessed to work with them to get those meals into the hands of our community members. They serve not only Pleasantville, but Knoxville, Melcher, and more!
Teens and kids showed up with parents to pick up their meals. They also came on their own, pulling wagons or riding their bicycles. We loved serving them and getting to say hello every Monday Wednesday and Friday.
Over the summer, we had many incredible volunteers who helped us! We would like to give a special shout-out to teens Reagan Murray and Adoniah Koenig who were present almost every day that we distributed meals. Also to the many little ones who came along with their moms or grandmas to help out!
A HUGE thanks goes to Pleasantville’s St. Paul United Methodist Church for the use of their facility, and for the women who volunteered each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Their hard work, hospitality, and joyful presence reminded us so much of Jesus, who they love and serve.
And we can’t forget to say thank you to our dear friend Jim Brees, who delivered the meals and took care of much of the heavy lifting every single day. Selfless, helpful, and generous, we looked forward to hearing his big booming “hello!” each time he arrived. His arms were always full of boxes and coolers, or popsicles he brought for the children who were helping.
We love our community. We were so happy to help serve them this summer!
Cookie Making Class
On February 15th, 2022, we had a cookie making class for a small group of middle school and high school students. PvilleYI co-founder Emily Caulkins taught the teens the basics of making large batches of sugar cookies. She showed them how to carefully measure ingredients (yes, you really do need to make sure that was 2 cups and not 3), how to mix the ingredients properly, how to roll the dough just right, and how to use cookie cutters and bake the cookies. The teens also made delicious frosting.
This class was for the teens to learn baking skills, but it was also an opportunity for them to give back to the community. These cookies and frosting were going to be used by our Pleasantville Girl Scout troop to use for their cookie decorating class, which Emily taught as well.
We served these helpful bakers some pizza while we waited for cookies to bake. During this time we were able to talk and learn about each other, see the teens incredible art in their sketchbooks, and laugh together.
It was a fantastic time. Thank you to Pleasantville’s St. Paul’s United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their Family Life Center and kitchen for this event!
Blue Christmas 2021- Ecumenical Service
On December 21, 2021, PvilleYI joined together with St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Pleasantville Christian Church, and Fairview Christian Church to host a Blue Christmas event.
The Holiday season isn’t always joyful for everyone. Many struggle with grief, depression, and loneliness this time of year. This event provides a space for people who struggle during the holidays to acknowledge loss, receive prayer, and find light in the darkness.
Special thanks to Pastor Brandon Campbell from St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Pastor Don Naftz from Pleasantville Christian Church, Pastor Clinton Wallace from Fairview Christian Church, and Pastor Willa Heaberlin from Woodburn Christian Church. Each Pastor shared a short message with the crowd.
Stations were set up where people could light a candle in memory of a loved one, write down their hurts and symbolically lay them at the foot of the cross, and where they could write an encouraging note for someone else to take home with them.
This was the fist ecumenical service in Pleasantville for many years, and we were honored to be a part of it.
Another huge THANK YOU to Smokey Row for allowing us to use your facility for this event!
Over 3,000 Meals Distributed to Pleasantville Kids & Teens
This summer, PvilleYI partnered with Knoxville Youth Food Initiative (KYFI) and St Pauls United Methodist Church to deliver free meals to Pleasantville’s Kids and Teens. KYFI delivered around 100 meals each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to Saint Paul’s Family Center where PvilleYI and church volunteers worked together to distribute the meals.
At the summer’s end, we had distributed over 3,000 meals in Pleasantville. This is an incredible blessing to the children, teens, and to their families.
We cannot thank KYFI enough for all they are doing in Marion County, and for letting us partner with them in this work. We are also so incredibly grateful to the folks at St. Paul’s, for not only letting us using their facility but for showing up each and every MWF to help. What an incredible example of being the hands and feet of Jesus!
We will continue to partner with KYFI for at least the next 5 years to supply Pleasantville kids and teens with much needed nutrition during the summer!
