Oswego County Opportunities Pulaski Welcome Center hosts The Bountiful Barn Free Lunch Distribution

FULTON – Thanks to a collaboration between Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) and The Bountiful Barn, residents in the greater Pulaski area had the opportunity to receive a free lunch courtesy of The Bountiful Barn. The lunch was one of several that The Bountiful Barn has provided at the Pulaski Welcome Center.

The free lunch is one of the ways in which The Bountiful Barn has shown its support of OCO’s mission.

Founder of The Beautiful Barn Dawn Varney previously worked for OCO’s Job Assistance Readiness Training program (JART), an employment skills program for ages 16 and up. Her familiarity with OCO’s Program to Assist the Teenage Homeless (PATH) and its Services to Aid Families program (SAF) and the comfort they provide for those they serve inspired her to help individuals in those programs.

“My mother and I have collaborated with the PATH and SAF programs several times,” said Varney. “OCO provides vital services to our community and we are happy to be able to support its efforts.”

Varney and her Mom Ceil Noel established The Bountiful Barn two years ago with the mission of giving bountiful blessings to provide a better future for their community.

“I was in a bad marriage,” said Varney. “But thanks to the generous gifts from others I was able to survive. I decided that when I was able I would pay it forward and help others that are in need. We strive to help others as best we can. If there is something they need that we currently don’t have, I have other resources that I may be able to get from. I also connect them with available services such as OCO’s programs.

Thanks to various fundraising events, donations from her church members at Second Chance Ministries in Pulaski and other concerned community members, Varney has a shed filled with everything from cribs and toddler beds to hats, gloves and blankets. The Bountiful Barn always welcomes donations such as cleaning supplies, household goods, hygiene items and baby items. For more information on The Bountiful Barn contact Varney at 315-489-3663 or visit The Bountiful Barn page on Facebook.

“I’m grateful to OCO for hosting our food giveaway and look forward to doing more of them in the future. It’s a pleasure to be able to provide community members with a hot lunch,” added Varney.

Located at 10 Bella Road, OCO’s Pulaski Welcome Center focuses on job training and work ready support. Site Supervisor Sarah Spataro and her staff assist individuals with finding employment by providing training on developing soft skills, building resumes, and basic computer and cell phone skills. Additionally, Spataro and her staff connect individuals with resources available from its community partners, including CiTi BOCES so that they may earn their GED.

Open to all ages, the Pulaski Welcome Center also has a food pantry and provides activities for small children to participate in while parents are receiving training. The center is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information on the Pulaski Welcome Center call 315-216-4521 or visit www.oco.org.

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