At their work session on Monday, September 19, the Gilmer County Board of Education recognized several members of the community for volunteering with the Seamless Summer Program.

Whether it was helping serve the children, transport food, coordinate locations, or just offer time to supervise the locations, citizens of Gilmer County have become the core of this summer program. Director of School Nutrition, Kim McBurnett thanked several of these key volunteers with special recognition at the meeting, a Certificate from the Board, and a basket of local apples.

Those who volunteered included (pictured) Darien Bowen, Whitney Crouch, Jan Day, Karleen Ferguson, Meg McHale, Glenda Murphy, Daniel Petkus, James Stanley, and Sue Stanley as well as (not pictured) Rod Combs, Marianne Evans, Steve Fields, Diane Fowler, Teresa Hall, Maria Harmon, Karen Hoesen, Julia Jabaley, Saber Marks, Janice Morgan, Becky Patterson, Karen Pinson, Chuck Prater, Lynn Ringwalt, Krystal Sumner, Dave Valdez, Judy Valdez, and Marc Zirkle.

These volunteers made it possible to serve the 14,432 lunches and 5,576 Breakfasts this program provided this summer. However, McBurnett stated her greatest asset in the program belonged to School Nutrition Coordinator Lisa Lowman stating, “When director Linda Waters retired in December 2015, the vacancy was not filled until the following June. Lisa took over the responsibility and organized the Seamless Summer Option Feeding Program, planned the menus, sought the volunteers and employees to feed the children during the summer. She is the most selfless individual that I know and wants what is best for the children at all times.”