The Shelby County Commissioners' Court proclaimed it Hunger Awareness Week at their meeting Monday.

 

During a proclamation signing Shelby County Outreach Ministries' Executive Director Sherry Harding told the governing body there are monetary and other needs that the organization is facing in order to continue providing food assistance to county residents.

 

She said these range from the food pantry to meals on wheels to the senior citizen's center. Ms. Harding commented the senior citizen site serves over 100 meals a day, including 2,000 last month and was reimbursed for only 1,000.

 

The proclamation signed by the Shelby County Commissioners' Court states that it encourages all citizens to recognize that many people struggle to have enough food, and that as a county, the court takes a stand that no individual goes hungry.

 

Ms. Harding said the recent heavy amounts of rain and with the summer months, the available resources are thin at outreach ministries.

 

She says they've seen more needs for utility assistance, food boxes and with summer, children are not receiving breakfast and lunches at school.

 

"There are issues and together we can find the problems," Ms. Harding added.

 

Ms. Harding said Shelby County Outreach Ministries would be having a hamburger sale from 11 to 2 Friday on the downtown Center Square to help funding efforts.

 

In other business Monday, Shelby County Commissioners:

 

* Tabled renewal application for insurance coverage through the Texas Association of Counties' Risk Management Pool to clarify some coverage questions.

 

* Approved to advertise for bids on oil for roads

 

* OK'ed data use agreement (computer remote access) between the Texas Health & Human Services Enterprise and Shelby County for accessing & printing birth certificates.

 

* Agreed to ratify the Declaration of Disaster regarding possible flood issues in the county.

 

* Approved lease contract for rental of old elementary school gym to Dentra Slaughter & Celia Aguilar to teach Zumba classes. Rent is for $300 monthly plus electricity.