“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9 KJV).
Trish Tanner, owner of the Rustic Cow in Quitman, takes this verse to heart and wants to do everything she can to give back to the community who supports her. They have created Rusty’s Outreach to be able to give back to the members of the community for Thanksgiving.
“The Rustic Family is looking to do Thanksgiving for the Clarke County Community. We are trying to do a food drive to help raise the items and funds needed to provide meals for the families in need,” explained Trish. “Their situation may be different than ours. They may not have the means to make their meals, a way to get the items they need for the meals, or something as simple as family here to share a meal with. Our goal with Rusty’s Outreach is to give back to our community in a bigger way.”
Rusty’s Outreach program has combined with the schools and is offering incentives for students at the lower elementary to bring donations.
“We here at the Rustic Cow and Rustic Couture are looking to do something special with our kids’ help,” expressed Trish. “The lower elementary is doing a food drive for us through the month of October. I have a list of items that any kid can bring to the school and donate. The class that donates the most will get a pizza and ice cream party from the Rustic Cow. At the end of the month, we’ll take up all those donations.”
Once the donations are collected, Rusty’s Outreach will use all of the supplies and ingredients to make meal plates to pass out to individuals and small families and baskets for larger families. If they see they don’t have enough, then they will continue to reach out to other businesses for assistance in attaining what they need through donations.
“In the month of November, we’ll see what items are left that we need or what we have gotten to make our meals. With that, we’re going to be making dressing, mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, ham, rolls, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, and apple cobbler. We’ll make a collection of plates based on the foods we can cook from the donations,” informed Trish. “Whatever donations we’re lacking, I’ll turn around and reach out to some of the other local businesses to see if they would like to donate some food, items, or money to help us out.”
There is a minimum goal that they would like to reach for the number of plates and baskets that they are able to make and pass out. She has specific plans for the baskets that she will make so that families that are able to cook can have a meal without any worries.
“I would like to do at least 50 plates and 10 gift baskets,” proclaimed Trish. “I’d like the 10 gift baskets to be able to feed roughly a family of four to six. It could be like a small ham, a dozen dinner rolls they just have to throw in the oven, and the stuff they need to make a small tray of dressing. I want to give them the pan itself, the dressing mix contents, and a small ham. All they do is mix everything together, and they’re done. They have everything they need and won’t have to worry about the funds that they need or the materials that they need. All they do is go and make their family’s Thanksgiving.”
To find the different people and families to give the Thanksgiving meal to, Trish has been in contact with some churches, the schools, and Judge Tobey Bartee. She wants to benefit all of Clarke County and not just one small section of it. She is more than willing to accept suggestions from others in the community who may know of someone in need who would benefit from Rusty’s Outreach.
“I’m talking to a couple of churches and trying to get a couple of families from each school,” informed Trish. “Anyone from the community can contact us and give us a family’s name, and that would be even better because it would help us reach more of the community. People can reach us on Facebook, snapchat, or they can text 601-479-8814 or call 601-410-8995.”
While the lower elementary is accepting donations from the students there, others can drop off any donations at the Rustic Cow or Rustic Couture. Money can also be donated to Rusty’s Outreach if someone would rather give monetarily for them to purchase anything they are lacking later.
For those who would like to donate, this is the list of items they are in need of:
Corn Meal
Onions
Bell Peppers
Cream of Celery Soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Chicken Broth
Macaroni Noodles (Dry)
Velveeta Cheese
Yams
Mini Marshmallows
Ham
Cranberry Sauce
Canned Apples
Butter Cake Mix
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Sweet Pickle Relish
Rolls
Sugar
Aluminum Pans (Small/Large)
Aluminum Foil
