Sherry Cobb - 2015 Award Winner

For more than ten years, Sherry Cobb has been an integral part of Knox County's Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry. Founded in the early 1990s, AIO helps more than 1,200 families annually by providing food and emergency assistance, especially when other social services and safety nets fall short. A retired teacher, Sherry is a fervent activist: writing grants, organizing fund-raising events, seeking donations from local businesses, civic organizations, and the general public, identifying emerging needs, all while routinely interacting with AIO clients with care and dignity. A very high number of Knox County's school-age children are provided with free or assisted breakfast and lunch throughout the school year. Weekends are a different story. Sherry's reaction: "We can't ignore this; we HAVE to do something." Her pinnacle achievement is the successful launch of the Weekend Backpack Program. About 200 kids leave school on Friday with enough food for their meals for the weekend, as well the ingredients needed to cook one family meal. This tangibly bridges the gap for hundreds of food-insecure children & their families. According to Sherry, "if the cycle of poverty is to be broken, cherishing the children must be the place to start. These small ones need to feel safe and valued if they are to learn, and dream, and grow up strong."