Tag Archive for: #areacongregationsinministry

TownTalk: Area Congregations In Ministry

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Since 1985, Area Congregations in Ministry has been helping Granville County residents who find themselves facing hardship – and its new executive director, Ann Riley, has seen firsthand faith, through action, in the few short weeks since she’s had the job.

ACIM’s mission has long been to relieve hunger, Riley said on Thursday’s TownTalk. These days, the phrase “food insecurity” is being used to describe how many people find themselves needing the help that ACIM offers.

Any Granville County resident who needs help can come once a month to the 634 Roxboro Road facility on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to get food and other household and personal hygiene items that may be available.

The warehouse shelves contain a variety of items like canned goods, non-perishables and household supplies, Riley said. The walk-in coolers hold fresh produce and the freezers are for meats and other products that are donated.

“We just never know from day to day, from week to week, what’s going to be in those boxes” of food that volunteers wheel out to clients’ vehicles.

She has spent her first few weeks on the job putting some finishing touches on her office and learning the role that so many volunteers play to keep the food bank doors open. She said she is struck by the level of support from the community – from businesses and corporations who donate goods to church congregations who send food, money and people to help out.

It seemed like a natural fit for Riley, who said she has always had a desire, a “want” to help people.

“I have been blessed in my life through many changes and I feel like I can be a blessing to others,” she said.

Volunteers are welcome to help during the hours that ACIM is open, but they also are needed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“That’s when we do some of our stocking and preparing our boxes for the next day,” she said.

Riley is the only full-time employee of the nonprofit, but Kristine Williford is the warehouse manager and she’s the one who keeps things rolling.

“She is such a vital team member at ACIM,” Riley said. Williford keeps the pantry running smoothly and lines up pickups and deliveries. “She’s invested in what ACIM does,” Riley added.

The Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot is one of the biggest donation events of the year, and she looks forward to an upcoming planning meeting with host church Oxford United Methodist.

“We have a lot of good things coming up,” Riley said, including a planned Open House to allow everyone in the community a chance to come and see the operation first-hand.

“You don’t have to be on food stamps to come and get food boxes,” Riley said. ACIM provides food and other items to anyone facing a hardship – senior adults on fixed incomes, families struggling to make ends meet or someone who’s lost a job or is between jobs.

Although ACIM’s mission is to serve clients who live in Granville County, Riley said she would try to help anyone find resources.

“We want to see them get help, whether we can provide it or someone else can provide it.”

Call 919.690.0961 or visit https://www.acimgranville.org/ to learn more.

 

Granville Board Chair Sue Hinman Appointed to Statewide Task Force to Reduce Food Insecurity

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Granville County Board of Commissioners Chair Sue Hinman is part of a statewide task force established to look at ways to reduce food insecurity in North Carolina. The “Resilience Initiative” was formed to help counties find solutions to the challenges brought on by food insecurity among the state’s residents.

Hinman sees first-hand the effects food insecurity has on Granville County residents. She is the director of Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM), a food bank located in Oxford. “We have seen a huge increase in the number of people we serve at ACIM since COVID-19,” Hinman said. “So many new faces, either people who have lost jobs completely or lost a job and had to take lower paying jobs” to provide for their families.

The initiative seeks to ensure that the food “ecosystem” across the state is strong. It is a project of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. Hinman said the task force will help bring attention to the real challenges around food insecurity to county commissioners across North Carolina. As a member and co-chair, Hinman said she hopes to raise awareness while increasing accessibility to high-quality, affordable food by anyone who may face food insecurity.

The task force was formed in response to an expected increase in the food insecurity rate, which is predicted to rise from 14 to 19.3 percent. Lost wages and job loss due to COVID-19 have negatively impacted the affordability of basic needs such as food and housing, creating a national and statewide crisis. In North Carolina, the average food insecurity rate is 14 percent, well above the national average of 10 percent, according to information from the Granville County government.

Her experience working with the local food bank was what led to her appointment, Hinman said, adding that she hopes to “find other resources out there and to learn what other people are doing” to combat food insecurity. “I also want to share with other people what we are doing at ACIM, because we’re doing a pretty good job right now,” she said.

The task force has had two virtual meetings so far, and Hinman said the group represents a good cross-section of the state. “Some of the other members have worked with food banks before, and others have not,” she said. So far, they have heard from NC Food Bank representatives and learned about different types of federally funded programs that provide emergency food assistance.

There are a dozen additional appointees from Wake, Randolph, Robeson, Tyrrell, Pitt, Bertie, Nash, Henderson, Wilkes, McDowell, Watauga and Brunswick counties. She was appointed by NCACC President Ronnie Smith. Hinman shares co-chair duties with Wake County Commissioner James West.

The task force will meet through August of 2021 to hear from experts, discuss potential partnerships and share experiences. The recommendations made by this group will serve as a road map for counties to implement plans and adopt solutions that will better meet local and regional needs.

“I am proud to have been selected to help lead this initiative, which I am so passionate about,” Hinman said of her appointment. “I look forward to sharing ideas and partnering with other counties to ensure that we address this serious issue that impacts so many, and on so many levels.”

Visit www.ncacc.org/resilience to learn more about this task force.

Oxford’s Annual Turkey Trot Scheduled for Thanksgiving Morning

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-Information courtesy Laura Gabel, Area Congregations In Ministry (Food Bank – Oxford, NC)

The 14th Annual Turkey Trot is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 22 – Thanksgiving morning – in downtown Oxford. Registration for the fun run/walk begins at 8:30 a.m. at Oxford United Methodist Church, located at the corner of College and McClanahan streets. The entry fee is two cans of food or a monetary donation for Area Congregations In Ministry (ACIM).

The route begins at the church, goes down College Street, through the campus of the Masonic Home for Children and ends at the Methodist Church. Come out for a fun morning as we give thanks while helping others!