Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
February 21, 2008 issue
Hunger and Health Coalition Needs Donations
Story by Celeste von Mangan
Although the High Country is on the downside of winter, the Hunger and Health Coalition is experiencing an increased need for donations. Both food and pharmaceuticals are in constant demand at the coalition’s Boone facility.
“There is definitely a need here,” said Crystal Winebarger, assistant director of the Hunger and Health Coalition. It seems like there is a real decline after Christmas, lasting until April or May, of food donations. We are seeing a trend—an increase in need. We’re getting new clients every day. A lot of our clients work two and three jobs. They do not have the funds to make it from paycheck to paycheck.”
Winebarger said that when the Hunger and Health Coalition receives new supplies, staff members try to make the items stretch as far as they can without taking anything away from the clients.
“We always accept food donations,” said Winebarger, “nonperishable food like dried beans, peanut butter, cereals, pastas. We don’t need anything fancy, just things to get a family by from week to week. I like to say there is one-stop shopping at the Hunger and Health Coalition. We have the free pharmacy, the pantry and our Pass It On Closet. With free food, free medicine and free clothes that we provide, you can well imagine we stay busy.”
The Hunger and Health Coalition serves a large number of children and has many clients—more than 12,000 were served in 2007, according to Winebarger. Every other Monday, a truck arrives from the Second Harvest Food Bank in Winston-Salem. The Hunger and Health Coalition purchases the food from the food bank, sending a representative there on the Mondays when the truck does not make a delivery to the organization.
But the food bank reserves have been less than normal. “Even the inventory at the food bank has been low,” said Winebarger, so the staff and volunteers at the Hunger and Health Coalition will be even more grateful than usual to receive food donations.
Gayle Henson, chair of the Hunger and Health Coalition’s board, said that a direct appeal fundraiser is underway, with 38,000 letters recently mailed. Any funds collected between March 1 and April 30 will go toward the Feinstein Challenge—a foundation based in Rhode Island that divides $1 million among food assistance organizations across the country. The more money a local food pantry raises, the more money the organization will receive from Feinstein.
“We have volunteers come from Appalachian State University and other places to help mail out the letters,” said Henson. “Our next major event will be the Appalachian Mountain Music Fest on June 28. Jeff Little, Wayne Henderson Band—who has played Carnegie Hall—and Amantha Mill are some of the featured entertainers. And it will be much larger than last year. We have a tent that will hold 800 people. The fest was formerly known as Music for Medicine; it is no longer called that.”
Henson continued, “On August 3, we’re holding an auction to raise money for the Hunger and Health Coalition and we are taking donations for that starting now. Cullie Tarleton will be the auctioneer. We really appreciate the support of the community. There’s just a really great effort from the community in general.”
Henson stated that the agency also has a tremendous need this winter for pharmaceuticals. Every week, the Hunger and Health Coalition is gaining 8 to 10 new families as clients.
“One thing I would like to stress is that we are able to continue our services from the donations and the individuals who donate,” said Winebarger. “That is what keeps us going.”
Drop off donations of nonperishable food and auction items at the Hunger and Health Coalition located at 141 Health Center Drive in Boone off Bamboo Road, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Make checks payable to the Hunger and Health Coalition.
Call 828-262-1628 for more information.
Annual Empty Bowls Event March 15
The Empty Bowls annual fundraiser on Saturday, March 15, is another event organized to benefit the Hunger and Health Coalition.
Organized by arts students at Watauga High School, the meal of soup and bread, served in handmade bowls, raises thousands of dollars every year for the Hunger and Health Coalition.
This year’s event will feature a silent auction and music by members of the chorus, orchestra, jazz band and theatre classes at the high school.
The minimum donation is $15.