Rowan Helping Ministries is gearing up for its largest food drive of the year, Trick or Treat So Others May Eat and is calling on the community to help. This fun and impactful event invites volunteers to canvas neighborhoods across Rowan County from Oct. 27 through Nov. 3, distributing brown paper grocery bags with a flyer attached to local homes. Residents are encouraged to fill the bags with nonperishable food items over the course of two weeks. Volunteers will return to pick up the filled bags and bring them to Rowan Helping Ministries for the big weigh-in event on Nov. 3 from 3-6 p.m.

Rowan Helping Ministries will provide all materials, including the brown bags and event flyers, and will host the weigh-in festivities at the organization’s Ralph W. Ketner Center, located at 226 N. Long Street in Salisbury.

“We are looking for at least 50 churches, civic groups, families and individuals to help us collect food from their assigned neighborhoods,” Community Relations Manager Courtney Hunter said. “For those unable to collect from neighborhoods, we welcome items collected from private food drives at church, work, home or school.”

Volunteers who collect the most food by weight will receive special recognition, but everyone who participates will feel the joy of making a difference in the lives of neighbors in need. The food collected will go directly to helping restock Rowan Helping Ministries’ pantries, which supports families and individuals facing food insecurity in Rowan County.

Rowan Helping Ministries is also seeking an additional 30 volunteers to help unload, sort and stock the donated food at the pantry on the day of the weigh-in. Volunteers should arrive at the Ralph W. Ketner Center by 2 p.m. on Nov. 3 to assist with setup and organization.

“Last year, thanks to our generous community, we collected over 25,000 pounds of food,” Hunter said. “This year, we hope to exceed that and continue to meet the growing needs of those facing hunger in Rowan County.”

To sign up as a volunteer, go to https://rowanhelpingministries.volunteerhub.comvv2/lp/trickortreat.

For more information, contact Courtney Hunter at 704-637-6838 ext. 123 or email chunter@rowanhelpingministries.org.