At its monthly meeting on April 8, the Richlands Ruritan club was entertained with a presentation by Amber and Bobbie Hinkle, both SOS Board members. This nonprofit organization provides meals to anyone in the community through its “Saturday of Service” program. Using the efforts of volunteers from around the county SOS provides free meals once a month for hundreds of local residents. Starting with their first event in 2020 when they presented 105 meals, Saturday of Service has furnished over 36,000 meals. In the first three months of 2026 they have provided over 900 meals per month.
Volunteers from WVSOM student groups and others around the Greenbrier Valley prepare meals to be given to the recipients on the third Saturday of each month. The meals are given out at the Edgewood Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg. Amber explained the process and challenges of sourcing and preparing food for these events. Saturday of Service expanded its program by offering free books to children as their parents pick up meals.
At the conclusion of the program the Richlands Ruritans voted to donate $300 to Saturday of Service.
In the club business meeting the members heard a presentation by Jerome Rodes, the District Governor of the Lower West Virginia District of Ruritans about the activities of the other local clubs. Of particular interest was the introduction of Project Focus. This new program by Ruritans provides help for people recovering from natural disasters. The club voted to give Miss Emily McClung its annual scholarship award. A donation was also made to the Calvary Methodist Church in memory of Sam Tuckwiller, a long time Ruritan member and member of the church, for his service to both organizations. The club began preparations for their annual raffle to raise money for future club projects.
The Richlands Ruritans club meets on the second Wednesday of each month for a dinner meeting at the Calvary Methodist Church on Midland Trail East in Richlands. The Ruritan Civic organization is a national network of clubs working together for a stronger America. The Ruritans’ focus is to support community services in small towns and rural communities across America. The Ruritans, founded in 1928 in Holland, VA, are celebrating their 98th year of service to local communities. The Richlands Ruritans Club provides scholarships to local college students and 4-H campers.
