By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com
Even with a slight increase in food contributions, Rowan Helping Ministries staff members are worried there may not be enough to go around in these hard times.
Executive Director Dianne Scott said the amount of groceries distributed and meals served in the soup kitchen have increased significantly from this time last year. “Our concern is not that we will run out,” she said. “Our concern is that we cannot help all of those that truly need our help.”
From July 1 through Oct. 28 of this year, she said the ministry had given out 94,000 pounds of food. This was up almost 16 percent from the 81,150 pounds given out during the same period last year.
The number of meals served in the soup kitchen was also up from 22,200 from July 1 through Oct. 28 of last year to 24,400 ó an increase of 10 percent ó during the same period this year. Last Monday, for example, 161 people showed up for lunch, 36 more than the daily average of 125.
As for donations, 103,600 pounds of food was contributed to Rowan Helping Ministries from July 1 through Oct. 28 of last year. Donations for the same period this year were up about 1 percent to 104,400 pounds.
All of those figures include food distributed and donated at Rowan Helping Ministries-West, located beside the Mount Ulla Post Office in the old fire department building on Grampion Road.
Scott said about 780 people volunteer annually at both Rowan Helping Ministries sites.
“Even in this bad economy, the community has not backed down in its support,” Scott said. “It’s just the reality of the needs that are out there are far greater than any of us can imagine.”
With the regular donations not meeting the need, she said Rowan Helping Ministries is having to buy more food and apply for grants to try to cover the difference.
In her 18 years with the ministry, she said she has never seen so many people asking for help. Scott said there was a drastic increase when Pillowtex closed in July of 2003, “but that was a certain group of people that was suffering.”
“Today, it is across the board,” she said. “It’s not hitting one company or group of people. It’s hitting everybody. It’s hitting the volunteers. It’s hitting the people that used to be our donors.
“People that have never asked for help before are finding themselves in a situation where they’ve got to ask.”
Scott said it’s not just food people need. More and more are seeking financial assistance to keep them from becoming homeless or losing their water, gas or power.
The financial assistance, however, is limited to $300 a year for a household.
This September, she said Rowan Helping Ministries gave out $71,000 in financial assistance, up 25 percent from the $57,000 given out last September.
Last Monday, Scott said Rowan Helping Ministries staff interviewed members of 106 households seeking assistance with bills, food and clothing. “Mondays and Tuesdays are traditionally the busiest days,” she said, “but in the last month, it’s been all the other days, too.”
As for the homeless shelter, Scott said an average of 35 people stay every night. Maximum occupancy is 40.
Staff members talk with new people coming in to see if there is help available to find them a place to live. “Each situation has its own merits,” she said. “We take each person as an individual and ask, ‘What is your crisis? What are you going to do to resolve it?’
“That’s where we come in with a strong case management plan. We want to help them resolve the crisis, not be just a stopgap.”
The ministry gave out clothes to 2,465 people from July 1 through Oct. 28 last year. That number was up 14 percent to 2,811 during that same period this year.
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. to 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.