Members of the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis were supposed to be lunching at The Peabody Friday. Instead, they decided to see to it that others were able to have lunch. And dinner. And breakfast. And virus protection.

Novel coronavirus rendered the foundation's annual luncheon impractical. What it didn't do, though, was render its mission — of bringing hope and sustenance to people in Memphis' poorest ZIP code — impossible.

Volunteers with the women's foundation, as well as several of its partner organizations, distributed food, diapers, hand sanitizer, masks and other products to help them survive the COVID-19 shutdown at the old Georgia Avenue Elementary School.

Vehicles lined the street early Friday to fill up not with gas, but with boxes of bananas, pineapples, cabbages, frozen fried chicken, and other goods.

"I've got five teenagers!" proclaimed Lee Wright, as she drove off with her bounty of frozen fried chicken and fruit.

"I've got four boys! They know how to eat — and they eat real food!"

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It was easy to see why Wright, as well as others, would welcome the sight of women's foundation volunteers passing out food to them instead of passing each other boats of salad dressing at a luncheon.

According to census data, 61% of the residents live below the poverty level. But since 2015, through its Vision 2020 strategic plan, the women's foundation and partners such as the City of Memphis and the Annie E. Casey Foundation, have been trying to change that.

They've initiated job training, early childhood education, youth development and other programs in that area.

It was making strides, too.

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Women's foundation president Ruby Bright said its latest impact report found, among other things, that of the 4,000 or so residents they've worked with, around 1,500 had jobs, and all the high school seniors had graduated.

But Bright said she recently learned that since COVID-19, 30% of those who were working had been laid off.

"We were dealing with some progress, but COVID-19 is certainly going to put us on a slide," she said.

That's why the women's foundation, along with volunteer partners like RISE Foundation, decided to replace the food event to honor themselves with one that would honor the people whom they dedicated themselves to helping over the past five years.

"We saw it as a chance to not just distribute food, but to have conversations with families who are happy to be getting this amount of food, because many were already food insecure," said Linda Williams, RISE president and CEO.

"They're getting sweet potatoes, they're getting cabbage, they're getting bread and bananas, diapers, hand sanitizer and masks... I've told the families that I've been talking to to use this opportunity to get your children involved in preparing meals..."

Tonia Carpenter was especially grateful for the sanitation products.

"I've lost some of my income," said Carpenter, who works as a special education assistant for Shelby County Schools. "I'm at home, but now I have to buy gloves and masks, and I'm spending money on things that I can normally utilize at work...

"From day to day, you don't know what's going to happen. I'm just thankful to be alive, and thankful for events like this."

For her part, Bright was thankful to be able to find a way to help the foundation continue to honor its commitment to 38126.

"As the families drive by they wave at me," she said. "They know that we respect them in their place, and they now we want to help them maintain their dignity and their hope.

"We will stand by them now and in the future."

To donate or volunteer, contact the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis at 901-578-9346 or go to https://www.wfgm.org/.

Want to help more people get COVID-19 protection? Women United of United Way of the Mid-South is spearheading its 20 for $20 drive to buy 10,000 masks for women and children in transition at the Salvation Army. To donate, go to healthgearnow.com or text COVIDRELIEF to 91999.

Tonyaa Weathersbee
Memphis Commercial Appeal

Photography Credit: Joe Rondone
Memphis Commercial Appeal