Tag Archive for: #acim

20th Turkey Trot Brings In More Than 1 Ton Of Food, $3K For ACIM

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From all reports, the 20th annual ACIM Turkey Trot was a resounding success, and ACIM Executive Director Ann Riley more than one ton of food was collected for the food bank.

There were 469 participants who ran, strolled, trotted or walked along College Street, from Oxford United Methodist Church to the Masonic Home for Children and back. The morning was crisp, but not too cold, making for pleasant conditions for folks of all ages to walk for a good cause.

In all, 2,244 pounds of canned and non-perishable food was collected, not to mention $3,282 in donations, Riley said.

While most participants were out for a leisurely stroll, there were some serious runners who blazed through the roughly 2-mile course.

Here’s a rundown of who crossed the finish line first, along with their times:

  • Adult Male: Jason Jones 12:20
  • Adult Female: Carla Rodriguez 12:01
  • 1st Family: The Wilkes 15:24
  • Teen Male: Henry Hall 11:01
  • Teen Female: Maddie Crews 18:42
  • Child Male: Cohen Wilkes 15:38
  • Child Female: Arla Bowman 16:14
  • Pet: Dog “Cami” 25:25

Riley offered her thanks to all participants, “whether you came out to run, walk, fellowship, or just enjoy the morning, we greatly appreciate you!”

ACIM’s Annual Turkey Trot In Downtown Oxford Thanksgiving Morning

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Area Congregations in Ministry, Granville County’s food bank, is set once again to host the Annual Turkey Trot in Oxford on Thanksgiving morning – Nov. 27, for those who need a reminder – hopefully, College Street in downtown Oxford will be filled with walkers, runners and trotters from across the community for a fun way to support the efforts of the food bank.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on the lawn of Oxford United Methodist Church and the trot begins at 9 a.m.

It’s a 2-mile course, so you’ll be home in plenty of time to baste the turkey or candy the yams before sitting down to your own holiday meal. Serious runners can complete the course in a matter of minutes, passing leisurely walkers on their way to the finish line. However you’d like to participate, there’s space for you – and babies in strollers and wagons, even dogs (just make sure they’re on a leash).

The price of admission? Just 4 items – canned goods or other non-perishable, shelf-stable food per participant – or a monetary donation and you’re in!

Thanks to generous donations from churches, individuals and other organizations, ACIM distributes needed food items to Granville County residents in need.

Visit https://www.acimgranville.org/ to learn how you can help.

County Employees Donate 650 Pounds Of Food, Personal Care Items To ACIM

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— Information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood

Granville County Government employees collected 650 pounds of food and personal care items to benefit Area Congregations in Ministry, the county’s food bank.

The Granville County Board of Elections was recognized for collecting the most donations per employee.

Summer can be especially difficult for food pantries; food insecurity increases with children out of school and donations often slow down. Granville County staff wanted to do their part to help bridge that gap and support neighbors in need.

“We appreciate the generosity of Granville County employees and thank each one that donated for their support,” said ACIM Executive Director Ann Riley. “ACIM has experienced an increase in client registration and truly values the support from our community.”

If you are interested in holding a food drive to support ACIM or supporting their upcoming summer “Backpack Buddies” program, which provides children from food-insecure homes with healthy weekend meals during the school year, reach out to director@acimgranville.org for details on how to get started. Currently, ACIM’s greatest needs are rice, dry beans, peanut butter, jelly, instant potatoes, pasta, pasta sauce, and breakfast items. They accept donations Monday through Friday.

To learn more about ACIM or to donate, visit www.acimgranville.org.

TownTalk: Rise Against Hunger Pack-A-Thon Set For Monday, Jan. 15; Volunteers Needed

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Volunteers from area churches and other organizations are joining forces on the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to pack food that will be used to feed hungry people across the world.

Sandra Wiggins is one of the event organizers and she said that over the course of four hours or so on Monday, Jan. 15, she expects to be able to pack 60,000 meals for Rise Against Hunger.

“We did 30,000 in about three or four hours last year,” Wiggins said on Monday’s TownTalk. “We know we can definitely hit this mark this year – we’re just really excited to do this…on Martin Luther King Day,” she said.

The Rise Against Hunger pack-a-thon will take place at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Wiggins represents The First Baptist Church of Henderson, but she said numerous churches and school groups from Henderson and Oxford are signed up to participate as well.

So far, the following groups are participating: First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Henderson, South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, Oxford Preparatory School, Flat Rock United Methodist Church, Fuller Chapel, Davis Chapel, South Henderson Church of God, Clearview Church and Cornerstone Christian Community Church. Wiggins said Vance Charter School and Oxford United Methodist Church plans to send volunteers as well.

“This is really a community event,” Wiggins said. About 100 people have signed up so far, and there’s still time to register – they need several hundred volunteers to sign up to work a two-hour shift. The first shift is from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and the second shift is from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Participants should report to the civic center and sign in, and from there, they’ll head to a packing station where they will help measure out individual bags of rice, seasonings and vitamins.

Most of the food packs will be transported overseas, but Wiggins said some are kept here in the U.S. for use when disaster strikes.

Register or give online at events.riseagainsthunger.org/VGMLK24. There’s a $25,000 fundraising goal that goes along with the pack-a-thon. Wiggins said $45 provides 100 meals.

But the event is about more than packing nutritional food and sending it to impoverished areas across the world.

Wiggins said next week’s event also shines a light on two local organizations that work to fight hunger right here in Vance and Granville counties.

She invites all participants to the Rise Against Hunger event to bring canned goods or other non-perishable items to be delivered to ACTS and ACIM, the food bank in Oxford.

Wiggins shared one of her favorite quotes attributed to King, the slain Civil rights leader whose work is honored and remembered on Jan. 15.

“Love has to be put into action and that action is service,” Wiggins said, adding that “when we have the ability to do, we should.”

VGCC Pharmacy Technology students serve community

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Students in the Pharmacy Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College have been participating in a unique “community pharmacy practice” clinical rotation at a Granville County nonprofit organization.

Under the supervision of Pharmacy Technology Program Head Dr. Erica Fleming, students completed part of their clinical rotation at Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM) in Oxford on Fridays during the spring semester. The students provided health services for ACIM clients such as blood pressure checks, diabetes risk assessments and medication therapy services, while also providing information on vital health issues, stroke awareness and chronic disease state management.

The mission of ACIM, an organization made up of Granville County churches and faith-based organizations, is to provide food and other resources and services to Granville County citizens in need. In addition to food items, ACIM is able to provide financial assistance for housing and utilities to clients who meet certain eligibility requirements.

This marked the fourth semester that VGCC students have worked with clients at ACIM. Sue Hinman, ACIM’s executive director, said the partnership with the college is the first of its kind for her organization. “This partnership is awesome,” Hinman said. “My clients are getting to know the students, and it makes a huge difference that our clients know that there is someone they can talk to and get information about medications, so that they can take better care of themselves.” She added that by collaborating with the Pharmacy Technology students and faculty, she and her volunteers have also gained a better understanding of the medications that their clients are taking.

Fleming said that the partnership is helping not only the community, but also the students. “Rotating here is an example of community pharmacy practice,” she said. “We want to expose our students to this area in the field of pharmacy and expand their perspective. This experience gives students another way to apply what they learn in class. It’s a good way to learn about various diseases, because we never know what we are going to encounter.” Fleming said students sometimes need to research problems that clients have and come back the next week to offer them possible solutions. “We screen people for diabetes and high blood pressure and counsel them on their medications,” she said. “We also provide them with information about services that can help them pay for prescriptions, like NC MedAssist.”

Fleming added that through her program’s “Rx 4 Life” project, her students give each ACIM client a handy medication card that they can keep in their pocket. On the card, clients can make a list of all their medications, the reasons they use them and when to take them. The card also has spaces for important phone numbers and other information.

“The purpose of the project is to empower patients to take an active role in managing their medications, to increase patient medication knowledge, to optimize medication use to improve therapeutic outcomes for patients and to provide patients with a portable medication record,” Fleming said. Another card that students created and distributed to clients has information on the signs of stroke, as well as the client’s target weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose. Awareness of the targets for these major risk factors of stroke gives patients specific areas to focus on when setting health care goals. Spaces on the card allow them to track their actual data over time.

Fleming said that overall, the ACIM partnership has helped her program “to develop community ties and promote awareness of us as a resource.” She estimated that her students have seen almost 400 clients to date.

Tamika Everett of Creedmoor, one of the spring semester students, recalled one remarkable incident. “We had a client who lived by herself,” Everett said. “She came in to receive services from ACIM, not intending to visit us, but she saw us and came over.” The students checked her blood pressure and were shocked to find that her systolic blood pressure number was over 220, which generally indicates a life-threatening hypertensive crisis.

Fleming notified the client’s primary care provider and immediate family members, and then took her to a nearby emergency room for monitoring and treatment. “We’re glad we were able to help her, because who knows what would have happened?” Everett wondered. Fleming said that is just one dramatic example of how area residents visit ACIM because of one particular need but end up receiving help with other needs, including health and medication management issues.

For information on volunteering at ACIM, call (919) 690-0961. For more information on the VGCC Pharmacy Technology program, call Dr. Fleming at (252) 738-3482.

–VGCC–