Despite what the thermometer would have you believe, it feels like 110° in Pembroke.  So why is Janice Blunt, Director of United Way in Bryan County, standing over two large pans of boiling water?  Because, it’s Thursday afternoon and a lot of folks are counting on her for dinner tonight.
Each week, Janice and a team of faithful volunteers, including Totsie Hughes and Amy Jernigen, prepare and deliver meals for dozens of low-income seniors and disabled citizens in north Bryan County.  SHEPherd’s Supper is a direct service of United Way in Bryan County and is part of its Special Health Enrichment Program (SHEP), which began in April 2009. “We try not to address just feeding, but also nourishing,” explains Janice. SHEP’s mission is to bring as much fresh produce and nutritional value as possible to its clients, and that is evident in the evening’s menu of salmon pasta salad with fresh vegetables and tropical fruit salad in a light yogurt dressing.  But for SHEP recipients like Ms. Clyde Murcheson, the program is also about community. “In a time like this, it is very needed…we enjoy the supper, and we’re proud of y’all for caring,” she reveals.

A true collaborative, SHEP would not be possible without the support of its volunteers and other United Way funded programs, including America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia, whose food bank helps keep the cost at just over $1 per meal, and Bryan County Family Connection, which assists with meal deliveries and provides cleaning services through its juvenile diversion program.  Bryan County provides use of the professional kitchen at Pembroke Seniors Center, and the City of Pembroke offers volunteers to deliver the meals, including Mayor Judy Cook, herself. 

In addition to the supper service, SHEP also provides a monthly Bonus Bag of fresh produce and other groceries, and plans for a local food pantry are also in development.  “There is great need in north Bryan County,” says volunteer Totsie Hughes, as she chops fresh fruit and shares her hopes to see the program grow to keep up with enrollment - which has tripled in its first three months.

“It’s a real community effort,“ beams Janice, but perhaps her t-shirt sums it up best with its simple declaration, “LIVE UNITED.” For the committed volunteers and community partners involved with SHEPherd’s supper, more than a slogan, they are words to live by.

For more information about SHEP or to volunteer with meal preparation or delivery, call Janice Blunt at 912.653.5344.  United Way of the Coastal Empire is a proud funder of this program.  For information about how you can support programs such as this, call 912.651.7700 and thank you for helping your community to LIVE UNITED.

Pictured from left to right: Totsie Hughes (community volunteer), Janice Blunt (Area Directory, UWCE Bryan County office) and Amy Jernigen (community volunteer)