CRESTVIEW — A cooperative effort between the Old Spanish Trail Shrine Club and the Publix supermarket assured a bounteous Christmas dinner for 18 lower-income Walker Elementary School families.
“Our school partnered with the Shrine Club about three years ago as the economy began to deteriorate,” Walker Principal Jeanine Kirkland said. “Each year, the number of families receiving these gifts has increased.”
The Shriners and the Crestview Publix assembled ingredients for a traditional Christmas dinner for the families. Store Manager Tim Bryant said his staff worked with the fraternal order on 18 dinners and stretched the Shriners’ grocery dollars.
“They told us how much money they had and we basically put everything together for them,” Bryant said. “We were able to put a full meal together for them and they were able to get more for their buck. We had a lot of holiday food on sale and we were able to multiply that for them.”
Each family received a turkey, holiday meal trimmings and a $50 Wal-Mart gift card from anonymous donors, Kirkland said.
“Walker Elementary appreciates the spirit of community and philanthropy expressed by the Shriners, Publix, and our generous donors who have been instrumental providing these wonderful meals for Walker families.”
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shrine Club facilitates holiday meals for Walker Elementary families