Stepping Up Once Again
Avery-Watauga Association of Realtors to help feed the children

By Sherrie Norris

Community service is very important to the Avery-Watauga Association of Realtors, as its most recent fundraising efforts prove.

Due to the group’s generous contributions, on Feb. 7 a tractor-trailer from the Oklahoma-based Feed The Children Organization pulled into the Hunger and Health Coalition (HHC) in Boone, loaded with more than 15,900 pounds of food and personal care products.

More than 50 volunteers, most members of the Realtors’ Association, along with allied members of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation and students from Cove Creek Farm, were waiting to help unload.

Laurie Phillips, the association’s executive officer, said that the Realtors donated a total of $ 8,556.76 to purchase the truckload of goods; $7,200 was used for the supplies, the balance used to purchase baby formula and baby food, which was not included in the original order.

While this is an amazing feat for any organization, consider the fact that the association not only bought the truckload, its members turning out in record number to unload it, but it just happens to be the fifth such truck they’ve purchased in as many years, providing more than 80,000 pounds of food for the local food bank.

HHC’s assistant director, Crystal Winebarger, said the gift has gone “a long way” to help alleviate hunger in the High Country.

“This latest food truck, as all of them have been, will be of a great benefit to the community. Each month over 400 boxes of food, 1,700 prepared meals and over 750 prescriptions leave our facility and make a difference in the lives of those in need. The generosity of the Association of Realtors and other donors makes it possible for the HHC to continue these much needed services,” she said.

“The local Realtors have made this a yearly community service project and would love to see other local business/churches get involved,” Phillips said. “We challenge them to make this their yearly project.”

Gayle Henson, board chairman for HHC, was among the many helping move the boxes from the truck into the facility, smiling broadly as he commended the Realtors for their valiant efforts. “Isn’t this wonderful that they would do this for us? We just can’t tell them how much it means to us – and to have them here and these other volunteers helping us this morning, is an added bonus,” she said.

As a reminder to the community, Philips said, “Our local Hunger Coalition feeds many throughout our community and is in constant need of donations. If your group is interested in finding out more about this project, please call the HCC office at (828) 262-1628, or our office at (828) 262-5437.

Founded in 1979 by Larry and Frances Jones, Feed The Children is consistently ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the U.S., based on private, nongovernment support.

Feed The Children is a Christian international nonprofit relief organization with headquarters in Oklahoma City, Okla., that delivers food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to individuals, children and families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or natural disasters. In 2006, Feed The Children distributed more than 129 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states, and internationally, supplementing more than 730,000 meals each day.

Since its founding, the organization has reached out to help those in need in 118 countries around the globe. For more information, visit the Web at feedthechildren.org.