First 2019 Community Make a Difference Day

The first Community Make a Difference Day of 2019 is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 22.

This CMaD Day will benefit local food pantries. Teams can be formed to make it more fun but individuals are welcome and encouraged to participate as well.

To participate as a team, groups of two to five people should go to Fareway June 22 and they will be assigned an area to go door-to-door to collect items. Participants will be given a map but can begin to collect items early to add to their door-to-door collections. Teams will collect and then drop off items at Fareway between 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 22. There will be awards for the most successful teams.

Individuals wanting to participate just need to bring donated items to Fareway between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. June 22.

The most useful and needed items include canned food of all kinds, boxed foods, bagged foods, cleaning products, toiletries, paper products, first aid products and miscellaneous items that one would find them self needing around the house.

Donations will be taken to Clarke County Food Pantry, Full Gospel Church Community Food Pantry and Clarke Schools Food and Clothing Pantry.

The CMaD Day mission statement is simple and compelling. “We come together as a community to accomplish what we can in one day to benefit and strengthen the impact of one nonprofit in our community”.

“Together we can make an amazing difference in people’s lives and in our community,” said organizer Dr. Al Adams.

There are as many CMaD Day’s as can be organized throughout the year. Due to weather this is the first event of 2019. There was only one in 2018 as well that benefited the local food pantries. The food pantries were the focus of the two CMaD Day’s held in 2017. Fareway was the CMaD Day location in both 2017-18 as well. In 2016 there were two CMaD events with Hy-Vee being the gathering location for donated items intended for the food pantries. 2015 saw three CMaD Day’s. The spring CMaD Day benefited the local food pantries, in the fall the Clarke County Animal Shelter was the focus and in the winter the food pantries were restocked. 2014 had three CMaD Day’s as well. Two were held in the summer, one benefited Restoration Ranch, the other Cross Ministries. The third day was held in December 2014 and the local food pantries were stocked up.

Many teams and individuals come together every year to make a difference in the Clarke community. Seeing which teams can bring in the most donations adds a bit of competition to the day of giving and gets people excited about the task. Local residents can go through cupboards and pantries and have a bag ready to go when teams make their way around town June 22.

For any questions or more information contact Jeff DeForest at Fareway at 641-342-3884 or Dr. Al Adams at 641-931-0567.