SALISBURY — Meals on Wheels Rowan celebrated the official grand opening of its newly renovated office at 720 Grove Street, marking a new chapter in the organization’s history.

After 10 months of renovations, the organization moved to the former Salisbury Children’s Clinic.

The week-long celebrations began on Monday, Sept. 23, with a ribbon-cutting hosted by the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce.

Notable guests included Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander; Mayor Pro-Tem Tamara Sheffield; Steve Fisher, CEO of F&M Bank; Terry Osborne, Rowan County Chamber of Commerce Board chairman; and Natasha Brinegar, vice president of category management center store at Food Lion. 

During his opening remarks, Meals on Wheels Rowan Board President Kevin Pruitt revealed Food Lion Feeds’ $300,000 pledge to the Forever Home campaign. That gift will play a vital role in helping Meals on Wheels Rowan continue to grow and serve the community.

Brinegar highlighted Food Lion’s ongoing commitment to Meals on Wheels, saying, “Nobody should have to choose between dinner and rent. We are thrilled to stand behind Meals on Wheels Rowan for years to come.” 

On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Meals on Wheels Rowan Executive Director Cindy Fink hosted a free advocacy workshop and panel discussion as a thank-you gift to the community. Fink, joined by Karla Foster, facilitated the workshop at St. John’s Lutheran Church, offering attendees valuable ideas for advancing their advocacy efforts. Later that evening, Fink led a panel discussion on “Advocacy for Aging, Public Education and the Environment.”

Panelists included Mike Agee, chair of the Rowan County Home and Community Care Block Grant Advisory Committee; Dr. Kaitlin Mueller, director of the Healthy Aging Center at Catawba College; Tarik Woods, policy and program manager for the Institute for Emerging Issues in NC; Dr. Kelly Withers, Salisbury-Rowan School System superintendent; and Dr. Lee Ball, vice president of sustainability and director of the Center for the Environment at Catawba College. 

Wednesday, Sept. 25, was dedicated to the volunteers who play a role in the organization’s work. More than 200 volunteers attended a volunteer open house at the new Grove Street location, enjoying lunch from This Little Piggy BBQ Smokehouse.

“It was wonderful to share lunch and show off our amazing renovated facility to the volunteers who make our work possible,” Volunteer Director Sandy Combs said.

The week culminated in a grand opening celebration and open house on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Food Lion Director of Operations for Salisbury and Lexington Lisa Owens presented Kevin Pruitt and Cindy Fink with a $300,000 check from Food Lions Feeds. Fink and Pruitt praised Food Lion for its ongoing commitment to Meals on Wheels Rowan and for supporting the organization in many ways. 

Fink expressed gratitude to both Food Lion Feeds and F&M Bank, which provided an initial loan of $965,000 for the office renovations.

With the donation from Food Lion, Meals on Wheels can now repay $145,727 to F&M Bank, completely paying off the loan.

“F&M Bank was so helpful to us by providing a loan of the entire amount of what we anticipated we needed. We are so grateful, and although we would have gotten there with the pledges coming in, and thanks to Food Lion Feeds, we would now like to pay off our loan,” Fink said.

Pruitt added, “This week has been a whirlwind of celebrations. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our community, donors, volunteers, and all others who helped make this big dream a reality.”

According to Fink, Meals on Wheels Rowan has had 16 homes since 1976.

“We are proud to call 720 Grove Street our new home for years to come,” Fink said. “We look forward to this new chapter of Meals on Wheels Rowan as we continue to grow and meet the needs of homebound seniors in Rowan County.”