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Wednesday, August 27, 2008 10:48 AM Fruit of the Spirit Apple delivery helps numerous organizations feed needy By Matt Shaw | Times Staff Writer Rain swept across Grace Baptist Church Tuesday night and the long line of cars in its parking lot, driveway and on Kincaid Avenue. Windshield wipers whisked away the water as their drivers waited patiently. Then as a truck pulled up at 7 p.m., the storm broke and the sky cleared a bit. A single apple may be able to repel a doctor, but tons of them apparently can chase away Mother Nature, as well. The truck brought about 36,000 pounds of frozen apple slices, a shipment from Feed the Children Inc., to be distributed to Wilson-area churches, food pantries, schools and nonprofit agencies. Feed the Children is a non-profit relief organization that delivers food and other supplies both nationally and internationally. Once the apples arrived in Wilson, the volunteers waiting to unload them got going -- fast. A group of volunteers from the church, Salvation Army and Angel Food Ministries quickly checked drivers in; loaded trunks, back seats and truck beds; and sent people on their way. Barbara Willoughby picked up two boxes for Niagara Pentecostal Holiness Church in Kenly. "I'm going to take them to church tomorrow night and give them to the elderly," she said. Seven boxes went to Wilson Community Christian School for use in its meals. "We never have enough money to go around. This is a blessing," said Assistant Director Cheryl Joyner. Brenda Pittman claimed three boxes for Greater Harvest Fellowship Church in Wilson. Pittman works at the Wilson County Department of Social Services and sees the need, she said. "We have a lot of people applying for assistance." In fact, "there's tremendous need right now. We get so many calls and so many people coming in every day," said Becky Stottlemyer, DSS' faith connections program coordinator. Wilson County has about 900 households that regularly receive assistance with food, but the number of families seeking emergency help is nearly triple a typical August, she said. Many people are struggling with the rising cost of fuel, energy and food, she noted. So it was a welcome windfall, she said, when Feed the Children Inc., notified New Christian Food Pantry of Wilson last week that it could get a truckload of frozen apple slices, originally shipped from an apple processing company in Yakima, Wash. New Christian agreed to work with DSS, the Salvation Army of Wilson County and Angel Food Ministries at Grace Baptist Church to distribute the food, Stottlemyer said. The effort ultimately involved 35 churches, most from the Wilson area, but also some from Johnston and Nash counties. Western Carolina Forklift Inc., of Elm City assisted by providing a forklift. Scott Childress and Childress Express helped with transportation. Grace Baptist's pastor, Tony Rogers, praised the quick response of all the groups that made the distribution work. "This all happened in a week," he said with a grin. "I think this is what the church ought to be." mshaw@wilsontimes.com | 265-7878 |
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