March 12, 2025

They're back....COLLARDS!  With Daylight Savings Time, the opportunity is here to join others to assist in planting 200 collard plants this Thursday afternoon (3/13) at 4:30! Hope you can join us with others from our community for planting and fellowship.

This past Monday afternoon, we hosted the Henderson County Hunger Coalition Board. In the fall, we received a very generous grant from them to purchase food for our pantry. Several new board members toured our pantry and offered to volunteer in the near future!

 We welcomed 128 families representing 460 individuals and four new families. The four new families averaged six members per family.  We continue to need volunteers who can help with Spanish registrations. Once a month would be very helpful!

 Volunteer Spotlight this week:  Kim Baldwin and Martha Vining. Kim serves on our pantry board and in the writer's opinion puts the "L" in logistics. She looks at every challenge as an opportunity. When a semi backs up to our loading dock with a vast array of items for our pantry, she immediately visualizes every nook and cranny in our pantry that food and personal care products can be stored safely until distributed on Saturday mornings. She also allows time to assist in the garden. The icing on the cake is the healthy snacks she bakes for us every week. YUM!  Martha also serves on our pantry board. You probably recognize this name as Chef Martha with the WLOS Carolina Kitchen. Most months, she prepares several recipes for the Carolina Kitchen and is videotaped by Bill from WLOS. Recipes she provides use items from our pantry. Our "neighbors" are offered a taste and a recipe when she has food demonstrations on Saturday mornings. As purchaser of food for the pantry, no task is too difficult for her! Our pantry "neighbors" have not missed one week in receiving a dozen eggs. She coordinates all our holiday meals and the process for ensuring they are on our campus for distribution in a timely manner.  Did I mention too that she teaches cooking classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown!

 On behalf of our Pantry Board, we express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous food and monetary donations to our pantry. Your donations will make a significant impact on the lives of those in our community who are struggling with food insecurity.

 Kathy Noyes, for the Executive Committee