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Windsor United Methodist Church will be the site of a fundraiser on Friday, Aug. 26, from 4 until 7 p.m. The proceeds raised from the fundraiser will go to support the church’s food bank which is celebrating four years of service to the Ammon community.
The fundraiser will consist of a plate sale and the menu will consist of grilled chicken plates, candied yams, green beans, a roll, tea and cake. The plates cost $7 each. That is not all! The fun and fellowship will continue at 6 p.m. with a live auction with Jimmie Smith which will include baked goods, antiques, crafts and much more, according to Mrs. Harris.
Last year’s event raised more than $3,500 for the food bank and this year, they hope to raise even more. One of the food bank’s many volunteers, Loretta Harris, said the funds raised from the event go to help purchase food for the church’s food bank.
The ministry has grown over the past four years. Mrs. Harris said they started with 20 clients and the ministry has grown to serve 250 families.
Harris said the idea for the food bank came about after she and husband, moved back to Bladen County after residing in Shallotte for several years. While living in Shallotte, the couple volunteered at a food bank there. She said the Shallotte food bank was begun by three churches that saw a need in their community and went together to form a food bank.
Mrs. Harris said that once the couple moved back to Bladen County, she began to see that there was a need in her own community of Ammon for a similar program.
Mrs. Harris said, “The community here is very low income. We have lots of people, who, if they buy medicine, they can’t buy food, or if they buy food, they can’t buy medicine.”
She said that after her experience volunteering at the food bank in Shallote, and seeing the need for one in Ammon, she decided to discuss it with her church—Windsor United Methodist Church.
“One day it (starting a food bank) was laid upon my heart,” said Mrs. Harris. “I talked to Rev. Tim Reeves, who was the pastor here then, and then we talked to the church.”
She said everyone was in agreement with the idea and Rev. Reeves contacted the NC Conference of the United Methodist Church Office. The church received a grant from the conference to help them start their program.
Mrs. Harris said each week, volunteers take a truck to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Fayetteville where they pick up the food. She added that the church uses the funds raised at the annual fundraiser to purchase additional grocery items from the food bank to supplement the food received from Second Harvest.
Mrs. Harris estimated that about 50 percent of those who receive food from the Windsor UMC food bank are senior citizens on fixed incomes. She said the food they receive from the food bank was meant to supplement what they already have; but in some cases, Mrs. Harris said the items the clients receive from the food bank are all they have.
“It has been the greatest blessing,” said Mrs. Harris of the ministry.
She the church also has a van that carries boxes fo food to those that are shut-in and cannot come to the church to pick up food.
For deliveries of plates, contact Mrs. Harris in advance by calling 910-872-2006 or 910-588-4602 or contact Windsor UMC at 910-588-4335.
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