TimesNews.net KINGSPORT — Eighteen helping hands came to the Tri-Cities Wednesday as the reality series “Kate Plus 8” filmed inside Food City on Eastman Road, collecting items for an area food bank. Kate Gosselin and her eight children were greeted by a capacity crowd that brought donations of food and cash for a chance to meet the reality television family whose show has aired for nearly six seasons on The Learning Channel (TLC). Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee Executive Director Rhonda Chafin said officials with TLC and its parent network Discovery Channel contacted the food bank’s national office Feeding America to donate to their operations specifically. “They had to determine which food bank they felt could use the support of TLC and the ‘Kate Plus 8’ show, and they selected our food bank because we are very aggressive in our outreach to our community to help feed the hungry. Out of 200 food banks in the national system, she chose ours,” said Chafin. Kathy Smith, the food bank’s director of community relations, noted that the eight-county region Second Harvest serves contains one of the highest concentrations of families living below the poverty line.“This all came together within the last two weeks when we were contacted by Feeding America. They chose our region because we are one of the most needy regions in all of the country,” said Smith.
Chafin reported that approximately 90,000 individuals throughout Northeast Tennessee fall below the poverty level, and the food bank serves 33,000 individuals each month with food supplies shipped to local church pantries and other human resource agencies along with special after-school programs for students. Ron Bonacci, Food City vice president of marketing, said Gosselin’s visit is part of an initiative she plans to spell out in an upcoming season of the show, where she will go to different parts of the country volunteering her time for charities. Although representatives of a number of local and regional media outlets attended Wednesday’s event, Gosselin gave an interview to only one local television and radio station. Food City has been assisting Second Harvest for nearly two decades by hosting food drives and having its stores serve as drop-off locations for donations. Bonacci said the chain recently contributed $328,000 to the regional food pantry as a result of a Race Against Hunger campaign during the winter months. You can sponsor a child, make a donation, or find out how to get involved with a food drive by contacting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee at 477-4053 or visiting www.netfood bank.org.
Kate Gosselin in Tennessee For The Second Harvest Food Bank on behalf of Feeding America: TimesNews.net
UPDATE: KINGSPORT — Kate Gosselin, star of The Learning Channel’s reality show “Kate Plus 8,” will make a special appearance at a “Kate Plus 8” food drive and celebrity bagging contest for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee this morning at the Kingsport Food City store on Eastman Road. “The food bank and Feeding America are excited to have been selected as the charity for this segment of ‘Kate Plus 8 Giving Back,’ ” said Rhonda Chafin, local Second Harvest executive director. The show follows single mother Gosselin through the challenges and joys of raising eight children. “The food bank is asking for help from the community to meet the growing need through food drives like this,” Chafin said.
The need for food assistance in Northeast Tennessee continues to grow. Last year approximately 7.8 million pounds of food and grocery products were distributed by the food bank, serving more than 33,000 individuals each month through its agencies and special programs. Gosselin’s visit today follows a surprise visit to Johnson City’s North Side Elementary School Tuesday where she and her children, with camera crew, dropped off 100 snack bags to be handed out to students throughout the week. North Side Principal Sharon Pickering said Gosselin and the children spent the morning putting the snack bags together at Second Harvest before taking the assortments to the school. Pickering said the snack bags, which include items like peanut butter and soups, will be given to students by the school’s leadership team. While it was a short visit, Pickering said some of North Side’s students were lucky enough to talk with Gosselin’s children while the camera crew filmed the visit. The local food bank is a member of the Feeding America national food bank network. For more information, call 477-4053 or visit http://www.netfoodbank.org/
Jon Gosselin's New Construction Gig Might Help Save His Public Image: PopEater.com
Pop-Ed: I'm not a fan of Jon Gosselin. In fact, I'm one who still likes Kate, so Jon's behavior following their separation has been all the more reprehensible to me. I mean, the guy's got eight kids. Did he really think it was OK to go buck-wild and hit the town drinking like he was 21 as soon as he was single again? Well, you'll still never catch me in anything Ed Hardy, but Jon's recent toned-down behavior has significantly improved my opinion of him. We haven't been seeing as much of him in the tabloids, trashing Kate and ex-girlfriends, hanging out with Michael Lohan or being skuzzy in general. In fact, a few months ago, the 33-year-old returned to his original line of work as an IT consultant. Now, TMZ reports, the quintessential deadbeat dad is earning a paycheck once again. He's working in construction in Pennsylvania installing solar panels. Construction work certainly isn't as glamorous as a lucrative reality TV gig, but it's an honest living. I commend Jon for breaking a sweat and doing some real work. The guy's had some notorious money troubles, including owing Kate $125,000 in child support payments and even reportedly still owing his 24-year-old ex Hailey Glassman $200,000. Laying down solar panels might not be the quickest way to earn big bucks, but it's better than nothing.
Of course, this isn't to say I'd begrudge Jon if he were to take on another reality gig. Unlike a lot of people, I didn't scoff when Kate did 'Dancing With the Stars.' It's a paycheck, and a big one at that. If you're in a position to cash in on your personality and you need the money -- and I think supporting eight kids certainly constitutes having a need for cash -- you'd be crazy to pass up an opportunity like that. But there's a difference between family-friendly reality TV and shamelessly selling out the person you used to love to the tabloids for a buck. I'm really glad to see that -- for now at least -- Jon is taking a moral, grounded approach to making a living and being a responsible father. I'm betting Kate's pleased he's at least making an effort to help her out financially. I'd say Jon Gosselin has taken a step in the right direction toward redeeming his public image.
Tony Dovlani Talks About "Quitting On Kate Gosselin" on The Wendy Williams Show
Tony Dovolani, Wendy Williams partner on the upcoming season of 'Dancing With the Stars,' appeared on 'The Wendy Williams Show and recalled temporarily quitting on partner Kate Gosselin in season 10 of the dance competition. "I did quit on her because, you know, we had a stressful moment there for a while. Normally, I don't drop my cool at all. For me to get to that point, something must have really happened," Dovolani said. But Williams seems determined to avoid drama. "You've got a good, even-tempered partner who just wants to win. I don't want to fight. I just want to win," she said.
What do you think? do you think that it's easy for Wendy to talk before she even starts practicing? Or do you think she will go farther than Kate did? Do you think that what Tony said was sticking up for Kate, or betraying her? Let me know your thoughts...
