BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Wearing Christmas lights and a reindeer antler headband, Marleen Scllee sports her festive seasonal attire while filling boxes full of food — something she does all year long. 

What You Need To Know

  •  Marleen Scllee has voluntered at the food bank for 13 years 

  •  The Hart County ministry gave out about 1,000 toys 

  • The ministry primarily serves Hart, Hardin, Grayson and Larue counties

 Scllee has volunteered with the FM 90.1 Inc. Food Ministry Outreach food bank for 13 years. 

“It makes my heart happy. I like helping people. Even when I’m not here, I’m helping people,” Scllee said.  

Before volunteering with the food bank in Hart County, Scllee benefited from the organization’s services. The weekly Wednesday food bank saw more activity this week, so much so that Scllee was refilling boxes after about 300 people had already driven through. 

“Today we are giving away toys, so yeah, we have a lot more people today,” Scllee said.  

Santa made a special appearance this week, doing what Santa does best — giving away presents. With the help of Dollar General, an auction company, and other donations, Don Powell and his team were able to give out around 1,000 toys Wednesday morning and help more families in need.

“We’ve seen a growth rate of over 400 families because we know it’s inflation, groceries are expensive, and people are really struggling,” Powell, FM 90.1 Inc. Food Ministry Outreach president, said.   

Though the ministry primarily serves Hart, Hardin, Grayson and Larue counties, Powell says anyone who may be struggling is welcome. “If anybody, no matter where they come from, comes in, we give them food if they need it,” Powell said. 

And for Scllee, the mission is pretty simple. “I just like helping people and brother Don really likes helping people.”

The food bank is open every Wednesday, starting at 7:30 am ET in Upton, Ky. To learn more about the nonprofit and how to donate, visit their website here. 

Related Stories