ROCKINGHAM — Four Richmond County organizations that help provide meals to the community were recently awarded grants from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation for the fall/winter grant cycle of 2024.
Our Daily Bread Christian Food Ministry in Rockingham and New Life Ministries (Place of Grace) in East Rockingham were each awarded $3,500, and Cordova United Methodist Church and Zion Community Outreach were each granted $2,500.
In all, the foundation allocated $750,000 to 250 organizations in Food Lion’s 10-state footprint, according to a press release. During the spring/summer cycle, Kings Gate Church received a $2,000 grant.
“At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and rent or gas and groceries,” Adam Bass, vice president of Pricing for Food Lion and president of the foundation said in a Nov. 20 press release. “Through the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation, we are committed to ensuring our neighbors and their families receive the nourishment they deserve. We invest in these partnerships by awarding grants that improve access to nutritious food and offer education programs, making a real difference in people’s lives.”
Martha Campbell, food ministry coordinator at the Cordova church, said this is the third grant from Food Lion to support the food pantry.
“Our mission statement is: That no one in our community goes hungry,” Campbell told the RO in an email on Dec. 3. “Pastor Michael Griffin stressed in the beginning to do what we could to remain consistent and gain the trust of our participants.”
Campbell said the pastor and food ministry team express their “excitement and gratitude to Food Lion Feeds Charitable
Foundation for their generous donation to support the food ministry efforts.”
In addition to the Food Lion grants, Campbell said the church has been awarded four grants from the Conservation Fund which is used to purchase produce boxes each month from the Sandhills AgInnovation Center. Each box also includes a pound of sausage and a dozen eggs.
“We were not sure when we started the food box distribution as a joint venture with our sister Charge Church, East Rockingham UMC, in April 2021, how long we would be able to continue,” Campbell said, “but through the grace of God, donations, grants, partners and volunteers we are still going strong.”
Cordova UMC has a drive-thru distribution the third Wednesday of each month starting at 8:30 a.m., with each car receiving a produce box and a “staple box” with 16 items, as well as bag of paper products donated by Marcal South, and recipes cards and food-handling information given by the local N.C. Cooperative Extension office.
Some months, Campbell said they also give out hygiene products and detergent that have been donated.
Our Daily Bread previously received $2,600 in the spring of 2023 and was also one of 26 sites to be selected as part of Food Lion Feeds’ Great Pantry Makeover in 2022.
Other past local grant recipients include the Mineral Springs Improvement Council in Ellerbe, the Tabernacle Full Gospel We Care Food Center in East Rockingham, and Helping Hands of Hamlet.
Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation holds two grant cycles each year and organizations are eligible for grants every 12 months.
