Volunteers spread love, support, and even fresh flowers!
Nourishing and encouraging souls are an everyday occurrence at FeedNC in Mooresille, where around 150 guests are served each day, and another 1,000 meals are distributed each week to veterans, the elderly, and working families who are in need. Formerly the Mooresville Soup Kitchen, the 501(c)(3) non-profit serves more than hot meals, however as they define the term feed as Food, Education, Essentials, and Dignity.
FeedNC is also thankful to be able to offer a Culinary Job Training Program, which is a 12-week job placement program that provides life-skill classes and hands-on field training, for real-life experience in the culinary world. Once students have completed the program, they are linked to local restaurant and business partners for employment and continued professional growth.
The non-profit also provides a Warehouse and Grocery Job Training Program, a 12-week job placement program serving unemployed or under-employed individuals with life-skill classes, hands-on field training, and real-life experience in the warehouse and grocery world (including Servsafe Certification and ForkLift Certification). Graduates are also introduced to local businesses for productive employment!
The dedicated volunteers at FeedNC organize a variety of fundraisers and community events throughout the year, and area resident Laura Warren found her own volunteer channel after moving here two years ago. Tapping into her background as a floral designer, and her quest to give back to her new community, Laura got to know the wonderful people at FeedNC, and proposed another way to brighten the days of those families being served by the FeedNC Grassroots Grocery. With floral donations, as available, from Blumengarten Florist in Cornelius, NC, Laura creates cheerful arrangements that shoppers can pick up and take home, hopefully adding a bright spot to their day! Volunteers recently overheard a sweet husband that was so excited to be able to take flowers home to his wife.
Laura has also invited her neighborhood women’s group to join in making arrangements, calling the venture, simply, “a very happy thing!” She also posts on her neighborhood’s Facebook page when she needs vases, and neighbors are happy to donate. The Grassroots Grocery is available – one appointment per week, per household – for qualifying families. Readily available foods for families include fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, frozen meals, canned goods, snacks, and toiletries.
FeedNC is also excited to be expanding, a project they call Building a Bigger Table, as they will be relocating to 8.5 acres on Charlotte Hwy in Mooresville, a move they hope will be complete in early 2023. Local residents in need are currently served breakfast Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m., and a hot lunch Monday through Friday from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., at the present FeedNC location at 275 S. Broad Street in Mooresville.
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities available, including Food Movers, who work to meet the needs of home-bound individuals who experience food insecurity. After eligibility is determined, residents are provided weekly supplemental groceries by dedicated volunteers, who logged over 32,500 hours in 2021! The loving volunteers of FeedNC will be striving to break that record in 2022! To volunteer, please fill out the appropriate form on the website, and for more information visit FeedNC.org or call 704-660-9010.
