KANNAPOLIS – Maxine Hare is full of enthusiasm for the food pantry at North Kannapolis Baptist Church.
As one of the founding volunteers, she’s been with the pantry since the beginning. She’s always eager to read thank you notes to everyone from people they have helped, as well as to coordinate the pantry for the church.
It’s earned her a catch-phrase with all her volunteers, friends and fellow church members: “If you want to see excitement, see Maxine!”
She’s got reason to be excited. In February, the food pantry celebrates being a Cooperative Christian Ministry partner food pantry for one year.
During their first year partnering with CCM, the North Kannapolis Baptist Church Food Pantry was open for 48 Wednesday mornings and has distributed almost 30,000 pounds of food to more than 1,000 households containing more than 3,000 individuals.
The first day the church pantry opened as a CCM partner — Feb. 6, 2013 — 10 families visited the church pantry. Since then, they’ve averaged 21 households per day, with more than 30 households some days.
“God blesses us,” says Maxine. “When our pantry was almost empty of food, I prayed to God… and we had a donation come in.”
Tacked on the wall at the entrance of the pantry are notes of thanksgiving and praise that have come to the North Kannapolis Baptist Church Food Pantry. Some of the notes come attached to bags of food, donated to the pantry by former clients who are now able to give back.
Seeing the notes, and the eager and willing volunteers every Wednesday, gives hope to Maxine and others who donate their time.
“We just feel like this is what God wants us to do,” says Maxine.
“North Kannapolis Baptist Church is a prime location for a food pantry in Kannapolis, and the congregation has really embraced the idea,” says Barry Porter, Food Program Manager for CCM. “They are really enthusiastic in continuing the Lord’s work in this area.”
Porter says he looks forward to the partnership with North Kannapolis Baptist Church for many years to come.
The North Kannapolis Baptist Church Food Pantry is located off of North Main Street, on the Rowan County side of Kannapolis, behind Woodrow Wilson Elementary School.
Cooperative Christian Ministry provides immediate assistance to residents of Cabarrus and southern Rowan counties who are experiencing crisis in the areas of food, shelter, or finances while engaging them in a series of actions that will empower them to move beyond crisis. For more information, go to www.cooperativeministry.com.