Feed the Fight campaign takes care of first responders
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
Leadership Washington County is “feeding the fight” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based in Canonsburg, LWC is a nonprofit organization designed to identify, educate and inspire emerging leaders to actively engage in local communities.
As businesses began to suffer financially in the midst of the coronavirus, the organization launched an online donation drive.
The Feed the Fight campaign began April 16 to help local businesses and essential workers on the clock during the virus.
Casey Lynn Clark, owner of Perked Up Cafe in Charleroi, was among the participants.
She said 30 meals were delivered to the Charleroi Police Department, Brownsville Ambulance Service and Monongahela Police Department.
“I’m honored to be (part of the) alumni of Leadership Washington County,” Clark said. “Together the program chose local mom and pop shops, like Perked Up Cafe, to deliver meals to crucial front line workers in our area.
“We were able to provide boxed lunches of our signature wraps, kettle chips and pickles to brighten their day.”
Clark said involving small businesses in such acts of kindness is a good deed in itself.
“LWC chose small businesses, which are the heartbeats of small communities, and gave us the opportunity to support those that support us.”
The donation drive provided 100% of funds received, minus credit card transaction fees, totaling more than $10,000 in donations, which included a $5,000 grant from the Washington County Community Foundation Close-to-Home Disaster Emergency Fund.
Executive Director Katie Unger-Chipps said the money is already being put to good use.
To date, 17 police, fire and EMS stations have received meals and 16 restaurants have participated throughout the county.
The donation drive will continue through the rest of the month.
“Our mission is to develop leaders who make an immediate yet lasting impact on our community,” Unger-Chipps said. “Our Feed the Fight program gives business leaders in the community an immediate way to support our small-business restaurant owners, while also giving back to our first-line responders and health care workers.
“We are honored to bring the Washington County community together in this way, especially during the fight against COVID-19.”
LWC President Bob Rak said the organization felt a need to support the community.
“Now more than ever, we need to support our community, especially those on the front lines of fighting this virus, and fighting tirelessly for lives in Washington County,” Rak said. “Feed the Fight has done just this by working together with the generosity of their business partners to achieve their goal to ensure our county’s health care and first responders will have one less thing to worry about — their meals.”
LWC is a nine-month intensive program that “develops and equips effective leaders to strengthen and improve our communities” through monthly day-long sessions that run from September through May.
Through the program, participants are guided to a better understanding of themselves, their community and the skills necessary to assume and enhance their leadership roles so they can have a positive impact in Washington County.
For more information about LWC or to donate to the Feed the Fight program, go to www.palwc.org.
LWC is taking applications for the 2020-21 program that begins in September.
Applications are available online.
