CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Loaves and Fishes hosted its first sit-down meal in the dining room of the new facility at 825 Crossland Ave. on Monday.
Ricky Willis, executive director of Loaves and Fishes, said the organization has been anticipating this day for a long time. “It was exciting to see so many volunteers turn out to make this happen. Today has been a day of our guests learning about the facility, because it was their first day to come in. We are getting their impressions and their feedback from them,” he said. Loaves and Fishes opened their new dining facility on Crossland Ave, for their first sit-down meal for those in need on May 17, 2021. (Lee Erwin)
It was a project years in the making.
With the snip of scissors, Loaves & Fishes which provides daily meals to those in need held a ribbon-cutting and dedication Sunday for its new 15,000 square foot home at 825 Crossland Avenue in Clarksville.
It was a moment of special significance to many, including board member Jill Crow and her brother, businessman Jack Turner. The new building s named in honor of their mother, Geraldine B. Turner, who helped the organization find their previous home. It was nice to honor mother that way, Crow said. She always had a passion for feeding people, board chair Tamara Long said of the building s namesake.