According to Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Leon County ranks third for food insecurity of the state’s 67 counties, and “It’s only getting worse,” says Rick Minor, executive director of Second Harvest. The closing of two supermarkets in Northwest Tallahassee are being blamed for leaving thousands of residents with no nearby source of healthy foods. Leon County Schools made local roofing contractor, Tadlock Roofing, aware of the need at Amos P. Godby High School, and Dale Tadlock, president and owner, is rising-to-the-occasion.
“These are children who don’t have a lot of food to eat so getting the proper nutrition is going to not only help them perform better in school but also make them healthier individuals,” says Tadlock. Tadlock Roofing held a two week food drive, July 16-27, aiming to collect 2,000 nonperishable, approved food items and succeeded. On August 3 at 10:30am, Tadlock presented Amos P. Godby Principal, Desmond Cole, with a $2,000 check on behalf of Tadlock Roofing along with the 2,000 community-funded food items to supplement the school’s needs.
“I have been in business in Tallahassee for 39 years and have seen firsthand how giving our community can be if they are made aware of a need,” says Tadlock. “So I already knew we (Tadlock Roofing) were going to help monetarily but wanted to give our friends and neighbors the opportunity to give back as well.”
According to Leon County School District, the high school has been collecting food for the past couple of years for their pantry, which takes about $4,000 to run each year. The pantry feeds roughly 25 families throughout a school year who would likely go without on the weekends. “The generosity of local businesses like Tadlock Roofing is astounding and so greatly needed”, says Rocky Hanna, superintendent of Leon County Schools. “We have students who are suffering all over and we are starting with Amos P. Godby High School.”
For more information about ways to donate to Amos P. Godby High School’s Food Pantry, contact Kelli Walker at walkerk7@leonschools.net or (850) 510-9736.
