Mingo Job Corps Civilian Conservation delivered meals to four local food pantries on Saturday, March 3. A student led on center group, Youth 2 Youth: Partners 4 Peace (Y2Y), packed 8,000 meals Feb. 24.
A small group of students traveled throughout the local area delivering the packaged meals to local area food pantries. They delivered 2,808 meals to Dexter Lighthouse Church Food Pantry, 1,512 meals to Puxico Nutrition Center, 1,080 meals to Lake Wappapello Methodist Church Food Pantry and 2,808 meals to Poplar Bluff Bread Shed.
"The young men and women of Mingo are amazing. I'm so proud of the efforts they have put into giving a hand to such a worthy cause. When you have young people getting involved and standing up for things that have a real purpose it is really inspiring to see," said center sirector Lawrence Ferrell.
Many staff and students funded this project through generous donations however, several local businesses also sponsored Y2Y's efforts to make an impact in our communities. Those businesses include- Puxico: Bill's Market, Puxico Skating Rink, Dollar General, Puxico Liquor; Poplar Bluff: Meek's Lumber, Raben, Drenda's Fast Tax, Bluff Fast Cash, Pro Nails, Bra's That Fit; Dexter: 25 Auto, Busy B Lumber, Advantage Automotive as well as the Wappapello Area Lake Association.
At any given time, Mingo serves 144 students, served by a staff of 60 employees. Each year, Mingo Job Corps gives hundreds of youth a second chance to complete their education and advance into careers, higher education or the military. Many are high-school dropouts or public-assistance recipients, and Job Corps helps them become active contributors to their communities.
The on center group Y2Y gives students an opportunity to advocate for non-violence, suicide awareness, bullying prevention, and learn civic responsibility by giving back to the community in service.
The USDA Forest Service operates 26 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers across 17 states with a capacity of 5,200 students. For more information, visit: http://www.jobcorps.gov/contact.aspx.
The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.