Little Train will trade rides for food

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By Bobbi Mlynar (Contact)

Friday, September 5, 2008

It should be a win-win situation on Sunday at a “Food for Fun” event organized by the Sertoma Club for the Salvation Army.

Capt. Jeremiah Burris of the Salvation Army said members of Sertoma will give free rides on the Little Train in Soden’s Grove to people who bring in non-perishable goods from 2 p.m. until dark.

For another can or two of food or packages of non-perishable items, event-goers will be given hot dogs and beverages.

“If they show up without food, (Sertoma) will take donations as well,” Burris said.

The event, suggested by Sertoma member Bob Hush, is intended to help stock the near-empty shelves at the Salvation Army pantry.

“Bob came up with a great idea,” Burris said. “We’re pretty bare now. It’s probably one of the worst it’s been for a while.”

An unusually heavy demand from displaced Tyson workers and their families, coupled with needs by the Salvation Army’s traditional clients, caused the Salvation Army here to spend funds it had not included in the budget for the 2008 Fiscal Year, which will end Sept. 30.

“What we’ve done in the last two months, we’ve been buying food from the Food Bank in Wichita that wasn’t budgeted,” Burris said.

He estimated that cost at approximately $5,000, with about $2,000 more spent in helping clients pay utility bills.

The Salvation Army needs the food and funds to make up its budget until the end of the month. In October, Emporia’s Radio Stations will sponsor a major food drive to benefit the Salvation Army.

Burris noted, however, that this shortfall in funds and foods near the end of the fiscal year could have been worse.

“We had some pretty steady donations that were keeping us afloat from the community,” he said. “I want to stress that. The community has just been awesome. The community has been our bread-and-butter to keep our operations going.”

Train Ride

when

2 p.m. until dark Sunday

where

Little Train at Soden’s Grove

cost

Donations of non-perishable food. Donations will also be accepted for hot dogs and beverages