Maria Lee welcomes and instructs volunteers at a OneGenAway mobile food pantry in Jonesborough, Tennessee
Maria Lee welcomes and instructs volunteers at a OneGenAway mobile food pantry in Jonesborough, Tennessee.

OneGenAway recently took a trip to the city of Jonesborough with Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee to bless foster families in the area with boxes of food.

May was National Foster Care Month, so Maria Lee and her Tennessee Serves group decided to partner with OneGenAway and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services to support foster families in Washington County with produce boxes and pantry goods.

“Food is a main staple of life for everybody, and in our state, there are a lot of people who are food insecure, even in counties that you may not think have people who are lacking the food that they need,” Lee said. “So, to be able to bring awareness to that and help get food out to people who need it is one of the greatest things we can do for people.”

Washington County has the highest number of foster families in the state at 299. OneGenAway was able to bring about 10,000 pounds of food to the county to serve 50 families through a drive-thru mobile food pantry.

Even in the pouring rain, it is always an honor to serve alongside the First Lady.

“Serving the foster families, I would love for them to walk away knowing that they’re cared for, that they’re seen, that they’re appreciated, and that what they do matters,” Lee said.