By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
Newly elected Rowan County Commissioner Raymond Coltrain has donated $1,424 ó the money remaining in his campaign fund ó to Rowan Helping Ministries to help the needy.
“It was not enough funds to return to the contributors on a percentage basis,” Coltrain said, “so we thought it would just be a good way to use it to try to be of some benefit. If you can help people, then you should try and do so. There’s no need wasting it.”
That’s why he ran for the county commissioner in the first place, he said, to help people.
Dianne Scott, executive director for Rowan Helping Ministries, said she couldn’t remember a candidate donating campaign funds before, “but Raymond would do something like that.”
Scott said other candidates and elected officials have been very generous to the agency through the years.
The need for assistance offered by Rowan Helping Ministries is great this year. Scott said shelter stays were up 27 percent from July through November of this year compared to last year. The total number of homeless people served during that period this year was 4,060 as compared to 2,860 last year.
The number of meals served in the soup kitchen ó which is open to the public at lunch and the people in the homeless shelters at dinner ó was up by 9 percent from last year. The total number of meals served from July through November of this year was 29,900 compared to 27,130 last year.
As for the pounds of groceries distributed, the total weight was up 17 percent this year. A total of 125,700 pounds of groceries were distributed from July through November of this year compared to 104,400 last year.
The number of individuals receiving groceries was up 34 percent, from 7,600 during the five-month period this year compared to 5,000 last year.
As for financial assistance vouchers, $360,000 in vouchers were issued from July through November of this year compared to $292,400 during the same period last year ó an increase of 19 percent.
The number of households assisted was also up by 19 percent. A total of 2,150 households were given financial assistance vouchers from July through November of this year compared to 1,750 last year.
Scott said the most dramatic increase is in the number of individuals requesting groceries.
“What concerns me the most,” she said, “is the food and the dollars are coming in right now, but so are the clients. What will happen in January, February and March, when we truly have winter weather?”
Traditionally, Scott said, the holidays are peak times for donations. “It’s the end of the year,” she said, “and it’s also the time people think about giving. It’s critical that we raise most of our annual budget during this time.”
For more information on Rowan Helping Ministries, log onto its Web site at www.rowanhelpingministries.org. Food donations may be dropped off weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and every fourth Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon.
Donations of clothing may be dropped off during the regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekday hours. Monetary donations may be mailed to Rowan Helping Ministries, P.O. Box 4026, 226 N. Long St., Salisbury, N.C. 28145-6838. Contributions by credit card may be made online.