Shriners Donate to Food Bank

Shriners Donate to Food Bank

Charles Romans

The Ashland Beacon

Recently, the El Hasa Shrine Temple in Boyd County donated 3,500 bags of onions to local food banks. The donation will be added to the other food the food banks have collected and will be distributed to those in need in the area. Donations such as these are very important to the food banks, and they help fulfill their mission of feeding the hungry.

The current El Hasa Potentate, James ‘JL’ Mick Jr., said that Shriners do everything they possibly can to make a meaningful impact by supporting local food banks and needy communities. Their generous donation of Shriner onions will not only provide nourishment but also symbolize their care for those in need and their community spirit. By becoming part of the chain of organizations distributing them to families in need, El Hasa can do its part to help fight hunger and uplift lives.

Mick said that each act of kindness and generosity by every individual and group in the community can turn things like simple vegetables into powerful tools for compassion and local support. Shriners have a long history of supporting their communities, as well as all they do to provide care and treatment for those most at risk in any community—children.

Mick explained that, in this particular case, the donation was the result of a surplus from one of their fundraisers. “We have Shriner Onions from the beginning of May,” he said. “We decided this year to get an extra load,” he said. “And we decided that since the community has always been so good about giving to us, that we were going to give back to the community.”

“We wanted to help feed – and help the people who feed – those who are less fortunate in our community,” Mick said.

The donation of the onions serves as something of a windfall for local organizations that are on the front lines of helping those who experience food insecurity. Mick said that the donation covers organizations around the area, including Huntington, Ashland, and Ironton. And by being a diverse ingredient they might not always have donated, it can help to balance meals for those in need.

It also helps them to plan ahead, Mick said. One example he gave was the Ironton City Mission, and Mick’s contact there, Jimmy Cremeans. “They took 150 bags,” Mick said. “And they plan to cut them up and freeze some of them to use with the Thanksgiving Meal they serve.”

Mick said he was sure that every organization Shriners delivered the onions to is going to pull out all the stops and use every ounce of creativity to help the people they serve. “It is what they do, and they are very good at doing it,” he said. And the Shriners, he added, are proud to be part of that community assistance in every way they are able. “We are trying to spread the word that everything you do can make a difference.”

Shriners give back from a position of gratitude, Mick said. “We appreciate every way people have helped to support us, and we want to help them every chance we get,” he said. “We figure that the least we can do is give back whenever we are able.”