As is custom, the East Ridge City Council will hold only one meeting in December. It will also mark the close of the council’s “food pantry drive” that Mayor Brian Williams initiated in September.

It was in September that Mayor Williams announced that he wanted to start a new initiative where the council would would partner with a non-profit organization each quarter in an effort to raise awareness, donations, and have items contributed to the respective non-profit organization.  For the final quarter of 2019, Mayor Williams selected the East Ridge Food Pantry. 

“As one of my campaign pledges, I stated that I wanted to be your mayor to continue the improvements of East Ridge, not only from an economic development standpoint but also from a quality of life standpoint for everyone,” Mayor Williams said at the time he announced this new initiative.  “We all are impacted in some way by difficult situations, whether personally or by others we know and love.  Just this year alone, we have witnessed residents of this city being displaced by fire and children being evacuated from dilapidated housing conditions.”

Following Mayor Williams announcement, staff at City Hall has maintained several large bins for food items to be donated to the Food Pantry, most of which are filled before every council meeting but are also available during normal operating hours at City Hall.

City officials strongly encourage the community to bring food items to the last council meeting of the year on Dec. 12. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

In January 2020, Mayor Williams will announce the next non-profit organization to be the beneficiary of the council’s new initiative for the first quarter.   Mayor Williams has consistently spoken of the opportunity to give back to this community.  In September, he stated this initiative would be an “immediate impact for our underprivileged families.”

“My vision is to see this donation program become a staple tradition at every City Council meeting moving forward,” Mayor Williams said.  “With the arrival of the year-end holidays, the City of East Ridge has another great opportunity to illustrate its strong community-centric philosophy that has established East Ridge as a wonderful city.”