Fair food drive helps fill pantry shelves

This is one of our favorite times of the year at Rowan Helping Ministries — time for the Rowan County Fair! We are so grateful to the local Jaycees and to Fair Manager Johnny Love for continuing to involve Rowan Helping Ministries in this wonderfully popular event each year.

As in past years, they have designated a day — Monday, Sept. 28 — for citizens to get in the fair free if they bring four cans of food for Rowan Helping Ministries. The shelves in our food pantry are getting bare, so we appreciate the support of fair leaders and those attending who will donate food for our neighbors in need.

For those who can’t attend the fair on Sept. 28, we will continue to collect food donations on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Sept. 29 and 30, but there will be no admission discount on those days.

Thank you to Mr. Bob Blake and students in the West Rowan High School Occupational Course of Study, who will collect donations for us at the fair. Look for them on Sept. 28-30 next to the large Rowan Helping Ministries trailer that we use for canned food drives.

The fair food drive is always one of our largest for the year. Last year, we distributed nearly 584,000 pounds of groceries to 22,700 people in need, so this food drive is extremely important to those we serve. Thank you for donating canned goods and have a great time at the fair!

— Kyna S. Grubb

Executive director, Rowan Helping Ministries

Invest in Knox 

I am a proud eighth-grader of Knox Middle School. Knox is in the middle of its Invest In a Child annual fundraiser. Donating to the fundraiser allows both the contributor and the student the chance to win some awesome gift card prizes! As a student who attends KMS, I can tell you that great things are happening at this school. We have so many great teachers and hard-working co-principals determined to change the negative image Knox as a school has seen for so long. Thank you for your support!

To make a donation, please mail your check to KMS PTA, 1625 Park Rd West, Salisbury, NC 28144. Questions? Email twalser@carolina.rr.com.

— Kerry Campion

Knox Middle School

No to county water

 Regarding the Rowan County commission’s decision to move toward a county water and sewer system:

First, your job is to represent all the people of the county. We in the county do not need or want county water. Why should we have to pay for something we already have that is free with our wells and tastes better than anything county water will provide? This is an issue that should be voted, by ballot, to find out what the average person in the county wants. In the research I have done the only county that has complete countywide water is Davidson. Iredell County does not encompass the entire county; it is for businesses and does not force homeowners to hook up.

Second, what do you expect to gain by branding Salisbury, how will it help the average business/resident? And should it help businesses and residents, then why do we have to hire someone from another state? That is the job you were elected to do. If you can’t do the job maybe you should resign.

— Barry Nesbitt

Salisbury

Begging for Bibles

Some people overseas are begging for Bibles. And when grown men and ladies get Bibles, they kiss and cry over the Bibles that some are waiting for years to get. There is a Christian printing place that sends Bibles out, used ones as well as new Bibles (King James versions).

So I want to help get Bibles for them to send. A person can drop off Bibles at two places — East 52 Auto Care Center in Granite Quarry and Ace Tire in Rockwell. Maybe local churches will help get some Bibles from their congregations and call me (704-279-8139).

—Sterling Weaver

Salisbury

Making a difference

Regarding the “Grave school report” comments in Friday’s paper:

It was obvious to me that two of the letters in today’s Post were from teachers. God bless them! It is easy to sit back and read the state reports that give marginal grades to local schools. One has to realize that these reports do not take into account that there are many contributing factors that are not published in these reports, like parents’ education background, poverty, hunger and location. Ms Frick suggested that we should get involved in our schools, like volunteering and reading to students.

My church has had a program, tutoring children from Mt. Ulla Elementary School, for 19 years now. Our volunteers meet one hour a week, one on one with students that need a little help, a little love, and just to know that someone cares about them. The results are mixed; most of the children show improvement, feel the love of their mentor,  from the one hour that they spend at our program every week for five months. I had one little girl that I tutored a few years back; at the end of our program we spent the last two weeks talking about what it was like going to middle school. I have since talked with her, and she did well in middle school. All it takes is showing  a little love to these kids that may not have the advantage that all kids have.

Volunteer!!! I am sure there are other programs out there that you can get involved with and help make a difference in a child’s life. Walk a mile in the shoes of an educator; one on one is so much easier then our professional teachers have … 28 students to one teacher. Make a difference — an educated populous will change the world!

— Charlie King

Salisbury