Firefighter leaves blazes behind to fight hunger
Mac Kennedy spent 31 years fighting fires and now he is doing his part to fight hunger in America for OBI.
Every year, the Hunger Strike Force's 18 tractors and 65 trailers deliver more than 100 million pounds of product.
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POSTED: July 12, 2007
By Staci Dennis
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Mac Kennedy spent 31 years fighting fires and now he is doing his part to fight hunger in America.
When Kennedy retired as a captain from the Virginia Beach fire department, he thought life was going to be filled with playtime with his grandchildren and relaxing around the house.
Then his sister asked him for a favor. It seemed simple enough: drive a load of food and supplies to a designated area, drop it off and come back home.
That was not out of the ordinary for Kennedy. In his spare time, he got his truck driver's license and would haul loads to pick up some extra cash.
"I did it as a favor," Kennedy said about volunteering to deliver his first truckload with Operation Blessing's Hunger Strike Force in 1995. "It changed me. I couldn't leave after that."
On that first trip, Kennedy was asked to haul food and supplies to Charleston, West Virginia, after rain and floods had drenched the area and washed away homes and businesses.
But the real impact came at the end of the route for this former firefighter turned truck driver.
Before Kennedy could finish his paperwork and sit down to relax as his trailer was being unloaded, he noticed a family standing in the dock area eating cereal out of the box.
"They were so hungry, they had to eat it right then," Kennedy said as he tried to choke back the tears. "The storms had taken everything – his house and his job. But in that moment, those corn flakes were all that mattered."
After that delivery Kennedy said he felt compelled to keep working for OB and has been delivering truckloads of food and supplies along the Eastern Seaboard ever since.
Each year Operation Blessing's Hunger Strike Force fleet of 18 tractors and 65 trailers distribute more than 100 million pounds of product from OBI warehouses located in Chesapeake, Va., Ocala, Fl. and Mira Loma, Calif. In total, the three warehouses have more than 200,000 square feet of space.
"I know there are people out there who are going to bed hungry and I can do something about that," said Kennedy, 60. "It puts my life in perspective."
How You Can Help
Every day, the fleet of Hunger Strike Force trucks are on the road, delivering nutritious food and essential supplies to thousands facing hunger and poverty. With your help, we can continue to impact lives and give hope to those who need it most.
Please make an online donation today. |
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