This Saturday was another busy morning in the pantry as we served 132 Households comprising 469 individuals. We welcomed 4 new Households having 12 members. Through 16 weeks we have served 173 more Hhouseholds and 7,027 individuals compared to 2003. Exciting news – May 8th. Save the date. We will be celebrating two milestones as part of Rogation Day.
Read MoreThings are shaping up at the pantry garden. Four Nativity members collaborated in creating a colorful mural to decorate our tool shed. Designed by Ken Oehm, the artwork was brilliantly executed by Garden Master Doug Kearny supported by Paster Sean and Rubye. Additionally, all plants appear to be growing well. Fresh produce is a favorite of many clients and soon we will be harvesting and offering it on future Saturday mornings.
Read More"Take me out to the Ballpark!" Yes you heard it here first! What an exciting day at the Bill Moore Community Park in Fletcher on Saturday! It was the Fletcher Youth Baseball & Softball Opening Day Celebration and Calvary Food Pantry Benefit. Not only did Mayor Preston Blakely throw out the first pitch, but all 300 youth baseball and softball players donated a canned good or made a monetary donation to the Pantry. Over 400 pounds of food items were donated along with a $250.00 check from the Youth League and $233.00 from raffle ticket sales.
Read MoreOn Easter weekend we welcomed 134 households representing 451 individuals. This includes 10 new households comprised of 26 individuals. In addition to their regular shopping, each household was offered additional food to prepare an Easter dinner of ham, potatoes, fresh broccoli, pineapple, dinner rolls and butter.
Read MoreEaster partially arrived a week early at the Pantry on the 23rd. Thanks to Lois, the waiting room was filled with an abundance of Easter baskets, toys and miscellaneous other items reflecting the celebration of the upcoming holiday. This coming Saturday March 30 we fill follow-up with foods for a traditional Easter dinner including delicious hams.
Read MoreSt. Patrick's Day came a day early at the Pantry on Saturday. Not only was Lois distributing some holiday items, but green peppers and "green" salad were offered to the neighbors. Linda prepared tasty vegan bites and bean salsa for the neighbors to sample. Some nutrition tips and a recipe were offered too. On Thursday night in the Lord's Acre of Fletcher – our garden – collards were planted and lettuce was harvested.
Read MoreLast Tuesday night at our Executive Board meeting, we welcomed our Garden Master, Doug Kearney and Michael Schruckmayr. Michael presented an Eagle Scout Project to us. He suggested a plan to plant a pollinator garden to enhance the health of our garden and bees. Along with scouts from his troop, they will place plants native to Western North Carolina in the area beside the shed.
Read MoreSteady State performed at Blue Ghost Brewery on Saturday, March 2. Proceeds from the Fundraiser were shared with the Pantry and Cancer Society. What a great evening to spend with our community friends and enjoy some fellowship time too! On Monday, two of our house carpenters, Jack and Kim, were busy sawing and installing beams to build additional shelving above our pallets. On Tuesday, a Manna-sponsored food drive brought Kelly Deese from Hendersonville Middle School with an SUV filled with 297 pounds of food items for the pantry.
Read MoreFebruary has proven to be another eventful month at the Pantry. Donations have been generous as our "neighbor numbers" continue to increase. A monetary contribution from the Thrift Shop, located at St. James Episcopal Church, Hendersonville, has helped us meet the goal of 3 1/2 days of food or 11 meals for each of our families. This week is no exception to the activities. Last Saturday, the youth volunteers filled 50 bags of sand at the garden to hold a tarp in place as we begin our spring gardening.
Read MoreLast Saturday, with below freezing February temperatures, we provided a warm welcome to our neighbors. Linda offered our neighbors a recipe and a sample for a tasty smoothie made with various canned and/or fresh food items available in the pantry this week. It was quite a busy morning assisting 137 families representing 486 individuals. Six new families were provided 3 1/2 days of food for the week.
Read MoreOn S-O-U-P-E-R Bowl Sunday, youth from Lutheran Church of the Nativity shared their interpretation of "The Big Game!" The dynamic youth group asked their congregation to bring soup and other food items along with monetary donations to support the food pantry. Over twenty boxes and bags of food were delivered for distribution on Saturday. We are so appreciative of their time and effort to help reduce food insecurity in our community.
Read MoreIt's always a bountiful week when there's a MANNA delivery. The banana boxes were filled with hams, canned goods, condiments, rice and dried beans....a favorite during the winter season. Some of the items provided by The Emergency Food Assistance Program, a "bonus food" was canned salmon, corn, green beans, nuts, cheese, fruit, and lentils.
Read MoreThe countdown is on 29, 28, 27......By early March, The Lord's Acre of Fletcher, our garden, will be in full swing again. Just this past week Doug picked the last of 49 pounds of collards which will be offered to our neighbors on Saturday. The beets continue to mature and will be harvested soon. We are presently working on a more flexible garden schedule where more volunteers might be able to participate in weekly maintenance duties. Stay tuned!
Read MoreLast Saturday was not for the weak of heart but for the hardy. It was everything Jason, the WLOS meteorologist, promised.... Weather Warn Day....CCCCCold and flurries!!! We are so fortunate to have volunteers who are not only hardy but arrived well before our morning food distribution time. The Vinings have lived in the Buffalo, NY area. Kim has lived in Maine, and Jeff in Michigan. While others of us have experienced the four seasons in the Asheville area.
Read MoreSome folks may have a viewpoint about Number 13.... might be lucky, unlucky or just another number. For us at the Pantry, we believe this past Saturday, 13th was a sign of how much the volunteers enjoy opportunities to work, meet new friends, and share volunteering time with family members. Christ School students assisted in many ways including unloading, weighing and shelving food from a SUV filled with donations of food as part of a High Vista Chili Cook Off and Food Drive.
Read MoreLast Friday night, I would imagine many of us fell asleep with visions of snowflakes floating in our heads...only to wake to a cold, rainy, blustery morning. Questions arose right away. Are the roads icy? Is the Pantry open? To put it all to rest, if we are not open on the regular schedule, we will notify WLOS of our closing and asked to be included in the scroll across the bottom of the TV screen. Several neighbors were already in line when the early birds arrived at 6:00 am to open up.
Read MoreHappy New Year! Haven't updated our newsletter since last year! Our pantry was filled with fourteen eager "Inventory Volunteers" on Day TWO of 2024. Thanks to pantry coffee and a box of Ava's scrumptious doughnuts inventory was completed in record time. With pen, paper, and scale on hand every bar of soap to bag of chips was weighed, recorded, and available for our neighbors this past Saturday. Appreciate the prep work of our Kim's with data bases, numbered shelves, and logistics all sorted out for efficient information gathering.
Read More‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the pantry…not a volunteer was stirring only a freezer a whirring....One week later....."What should my thankful eyes observe," but a Manna delivery truck loaded with 7,500 pounds of food. Over the next two Saturdays, we will distribute these food items to our neighbors. Some of the items we received included fresh produce of eggplant, spaghetti squash, and onions. Also in our delivery was shelf food of pineapple, pasta, and peanut butter.
Read MoreJoy to the World...The words to this hymn are resonating in a loop in my head. What comfort and joy it was on Saturday morning to welcome two shifts of volunteers and 183 families representing 668 individuals! Twelve new families became part of our pantry community, too. Neighbors shopped in The Emergency Food Assistance Program room, gathered regular food items from the pantry, and collected their holiday meal as they exited the building. Thrivent donated fruitcakes and Bimbos donated lemon and cherry pies. Lois offered a blanket from Manual Woodworkers and elves were distributing candy canes to one and all.
Read MoreFood, Santa's Toy Shop, and Brrrrrrrr...Yes a cold blustery morning with a pantry filled with volunteers, food, and toys! The 150 neighbors were warmly welcomed representing 600 family members and 13 new families. Our volunteers arrived early to "man their stations" and share in the holiday spirit with our neighbors. Lois throughout the year, stores the many generous donations from our community and individuals to provide a Santa's toyshop visit. When they say a picture is worth a 1000 words...the look on our neighbors children's faces says it all. Our sincere gratitude goes out to donors near and far in appreciation for these toys.
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