By TABITHA EVANS MOORE | Editor-in-Chief
Last Friday, Jack Daniel’s Distillery management and employees showed off their logistical skills, but it had nothing to do with whiskey.
From 1 to 4 p.m., members of the leadership team and around 40 employees sent boxes of Thanksgiving food down an assembly line and into the waiting cars of local families. It was their way of making sure not a single Moore County family went without a plentiful Thanksgiving meal this Thanksgiving.
It happened at the Jack Daniel’s Employee Resource Center off the Fayetteville Highway, which exists less than a mile as the crow flies from the hilltop where Jack lived during his whiskey-making days. The structure no longer exists, but his spirit lingers.
Jasper Newton Daniel – known to the world as Jack – earned the nickname of The Donations Man during his time based on a proclivity to help Lynchburg every chance he got. In fact, some historians say if it weren’t for his nephew, Lem Motlow, stepping in to make sure the distillery had the resources it needed to grow, Jack would have given away every dollar it ever made.
Giving back is just part of the DNA of the folks in The Holler.
Jack Daniel’s Senior Vice President and GM Melvin Keebler came up with the idea during a staff meeting a couple of weeks prior. At the time, the federal government sat idle resulting in a pause in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“I’d been watching the news and thinking about the families with kids, seniors, disabled folks, and veterans that might not have what they needed,” Keebler says. “I wanted to make sure that no family within Lynchburg-Moore County went without a Thanksgiving meal this year.”
With the help of the Moore County Resource Center’s Robyn LaCook and the Lynchburg Chamber’s Marsha Hale, the group worked to identify the neediest families in Moore County – paying special attention to those who might fall through the cracks of other programs.
Moore County Resource Center Director Robin LaCook says that even though the federal pause lifted on November 17, many local families are still struggling to fill the gaps the shutdown created.
“Once families get behind, it can just kind of snowball, “LaCook says. “They often need to pull from other areas to buy food, and it can take longer than you realize to recover from even a brief pause.”
Overwhelming employee support
Once families were identified, Keebler and his crew set up shop at the Jack Daniel’s Employee Resource Center along the Fayetteville Highway and put out the call for employee volunteers. Around 40 showed up.
As one group made boxes, another handed out turkeys, then sides, and finally pie crusts. Every box contained everything a family of eight would need to make a complete holiday meal.
“We had a huge participation from our employees,” Keebler says. “The appreciation from local families really touched all of our hearts.”
In the end, it’s just one more example of what makes Lynchburg Lynchburg. We take care of our own; it’s also in our DNA.
In total, the distillery purchased 180 meal kits and gave away around 140 last Friday. There are still around 40 available. If you know of a local or area family who could use a little help, reach out via the MCRC’s Facebook page or via phone at 931-434-6808.
There will also be another USDA perishables and commodities food giveaway on Tuesday, December 9 beginning at 8 a.m. in Wiseman Park. You must be a Tennessee resident and meet the income requirements based on household size. Registration is required and you can register at the MCRC office located in the County Building on Tuesday and Fridays from 9-11 a.m. or on Tuesday, December 9 prior to 8 a.m. •
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