(NOLANVILLE, Texas, November 24, 2020) — In this quaint town, a place where the small town connections are very strong, Soldiers form the 504th Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade convoyed to the Nolanville First United Methodist Church to donate 4,874 lbs. of nonperishable food on Nov 20.
Spc. Dayna Fyffe, the Better Opportunities for Singe Soldiers representative with the 504th EMIB, connected with the church, which is often the first place donated food goes to before it goes to the food pantry. She said that she made a list of nonperishable food items and worked with brigade leadership to make the donation happen.
After her battalion’s turkey trot, she and a crew of Soldiers loaded between five to seven vehicles of food.
“I gave Ms. Warden a call saying, ‘Hey, we are going to have a little more than you expected,’” Fyffe said.
Patricia Warden, who has been a Methodist pastor since 1977, said she has worked for the church for a little over six years. She receives donations regularly, sorts them, and then gives the food to the Nolanville Food Pantry.
Warden said that the more food items they have, the easier it is to meet on the spot needs. On the spot needs are emergency situations such as domestic violence cases or other cases that warrant the need.
When the Soldiers arrived at the church, unloading commenced.
“I wasn’t sure how big of a turn out it was going to be,” Fyffe said.
“Seeing their faces, it brought a smile to my face. I think they were a little overwhelmed, at first, with everything. But hearing her talk about how happy she was made it worth it.”
Warden said the food pantry feeds generally 70 families per week. This past week, they fed 104 families. This equals to about 600 people because of the children involved.
“Knowing how many family members we potentially helped is very heartwarming,” Fyffe said.
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