Since the program's inception on Oct. 1, 2020, Dinner Before Bedtime has served over 17,000 meals to Shelbyville children.
On Thursday at Echo Effect, the Shelbyville Rotary Club donated $23,717.04 to the program to continue keeping local children from going hungry.
Inspired by a Luke Williams idea and working in conjunction with the Shelby County Youth Assistance Program, there are currently 17 children being fed dinner seven days per week, according to retired judge Charles O’Connor, who founded the program along with Williams (photo below), who passed away on Dec. 20, 2020.
“We partner with Cracker Barrel and one day a week Cagney’s so we get a variation of meals for the children,” explained O’Connor to the Rotary Club crowd gathered Thursday at Echo Effect. “Theoretically, if we could get a meal provider to expand, we might be able to (deliver more meals).
“We partner with a number of local churches. Their congregations, bless their hearts, volunteer to pick up the meals either from Cracker Barrel or Cagney’s and deliver those meals to the homes here in Shelbyville.”
Melissa O’Connor, Director of the Shelby County Youth Assistance Program, takes recommendations of prospective children in need of hot meals to start the delivery process. She verifies the quality of the meals and the delivery process to each family.
“If we could somehow get a provider to produce more meals it would be wonderful,” said Charles O’Connor. “Seventeen thousand meals in not quite four years is a pretty good start. If you knew Luke, I think he would be pretty happy.”
To make a tax-deductible donation to the qualified 501(c)(3) organization, send a check to Dinner Before Bedtime, Inc. at 157 E. Rampart St. in Shelbyville.
For more information on the organization, go to dinnerbeforebedtime.com.
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