Anne Scott Memorial for Operation Feed

Hi, my name is Cindy Scott, and I am the daughter of Jim and Anne Scott. My sisters are Nola Scott Jones and Molli Scott McMills. We are very sad our mother, Anne Scott, passed away on March 26, 2023, however, we greatly appreciate the beautiful life she and our father shared and the wonderful things they did to make the world a better place. We’d like to share their story with you as we honor our mother’s life by continuing to support Operation Feed, the philanthropy our parents started some 30 years ago.

After impacting thousands of students during their careers as music educators, Mom and Dad retired to the small Mexican village of San Juan Cosala on Lake Chapala. Their dear friends, Earl and Loretta Smithberg, lived a few streets away. Upon learning that many local villagers didn’t have enough to eat, the Scotts and Smithbergs felt compelled to help. Every two weeks, Dad would drive his Volkswagen Bus an hour each way to Guadalajara. There, the two couples would pool their resources to buy bulk quantities of staples like baby formula, beans, rice, and tortillas. They then separated the items into packages specific to each family and delivered them throughout the village. They casually named their mission "Operation Feed," and the name stuck.

Operation Feed initially assisted six families. Word got out, and other people began donating. The local church helped identify people in need, and Operation Feed quietly began supplying more and more families with basic food items.

Eventually, Operation Feed outgrew the four aging friends, and younger volunteers took over the work. Currently, the charity helps more than 150 families who would not have enough food to eat without it. The program has expanded to include other ways of serving people in need. They tutor local school students with English and computer skills. They hold cooking classes to prepare delicious healthy meals with less expensive ingredients. They maintain a donation center providing clothes, shoes, books, medicine, and other items. It is difficult to believe this charity that is critical to so many people began in my parents' dining room so long ago!

In lieu of flowers, our family is requesting contributions to Operation Feed in honor of our mother, Anne Scott. GoFundMe takes about 3% in operating costs, but everything else will go directly to the organization. Also, we would genuinely love to read your messages, so please let us know how you knew our parents, and any other anecdote you'd like to share.

Here is a link to more information about today's Operation Feed, which continues to be 100% run by volunteers: https://www.operationfeedsjc.com/

With much love and gratitude,

Nola Jones, Molli McMills, and Cindy Scott