Food bank shelves bare

Soup kitchen breaks record for number of people fed

Credit: Jennifer Frew | The News Herald

Jill Poole, who volunteers five days a week at BUCM, serves lunch at the Burke Mission Station soup kitchen in Morganton on Wednesday.

By: Sharon McBrayer | Morganton News Herald
Published: October 30, 2008

Morganton --

With the decline in the economy and high unemployment in Burke County, Burke United Christian Ministries is serving more people.
That's why they need donations, particularly food and blankets.
"Right now, the food is low," said Barbara Mathis, food services manager for Burke United Christian Ministries.
Mathis said for the last several months, supplies at the food pantry have been running low.
"As fast as they put it on the shelves, it's gone," Mathis said.
Mathis said the soup kitchen broke a record last month, serving 313 people in one day. The soup kitchen normally serves between 70 to 80 people during evening meals but it has served as many as 172 people this month, Mathis said.
Suzy Fitzgerald, mission opportunities director for BUCM, said the need is outweighing the resources.
Fitzgerald said the ministry sees a lot more clients than normal who need food and heat assistance.
Usually, lunch sees more people coming for a meal but those needing an evening meal have nearly doubled, Fitzgerald said. She said in the past month the soup kitchen has averaged serving more than 100 people for dinner.
It's seeing a large increase in families with children coming for an evening meal. Some of the clientele have been laid off from a job or are working but their hours have been cut, she said.
BUCM uses monetary donations to buy food from Second Harvest Food Bank in Hickory, Mathis said, paying 16 cents per pound for, typically, non-perishable food.
Grocery stores are helping out.
For years, Food Lion has donated food to BUCM and Harris Teeter is holding its annual Harvest Feast Food Drive, where shoppers can buy gift cards for food bank partners or they can donate food items in the store, according to information from Harris Teeter. Items donated at a particular store stays in the community where the store is located.
High schools in the area are doing what they can to help out.
The Robert L. Patton High School Anchor Club will host the Freedom High Anchor Club at Patton Stadium at 7 p.m. on Monday. And the East Burke High School powder puff football game featuring East Burke faculty vs. the East Burke Anchor Club will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday at East Burke Stadium.
Cost for both games is $2 and a can of food. All proceeds go to Burke United Christian Ministries and East Burke Christian Ministries. The East Burke Boosters will also donate 50 percent of all proceeds from concessions. Gates open at 6 p.m.
It's not just food BUCM needs.
Fitzgerald said BUCM has a huge shortage of blankets.
"And that makes it really difficult to give assistance to the homeless people in the county," Fitzgerald said. As temperatures turn colder, for those living on the streets a blanket could be a matter of life and death, she said.
Other items BUCM really needs are all sizes of underwear, toiletry items, toilet paper and paper towels, Fitzgerald said.
To donate items or to find out how you can help, call Fitzgerald at 433-8075.