The current need for food assistance in Alamance County is huge and honest, according to Lynne Pierce, executive director of Southern Alamance Family Empowerment (SAFE). “The community is just hurting — bottom line.”
Started in 2013, after seven local churches had a conversation about the need for food assistance in Southern Alamance County, SAFE opened its doors to serve the public two days a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Not only have they offered food since that time, but they have also met with those in need of their services once a month to learn about their needs and point them in the direction of other services that can help. For instance, SAFE partnered with an open door clinic to provide medical assistance to those who needed it.
Alamance Achieves first partnered with SAFE as part of an ad hoc committee on rural engagement that was started to find ways to better serve and reach the residents in Southern Alamance. Out of that relationship, SAFE started a summer food drive, to feed kids at eight elementary schools for the nine weeks they were out of school. SAFE established eight distribution spots. Due to COVID-19, it wasn’t possible to hand out actual food, so instead each family received a gift card for $25 per kid each week. More than 100 children a week received gift cards.
SAFE’s efforts to care for kids in Southern Alamance also includes a summer meal program that they were able to set up on within two days of school closing in March. Since schools closed on March 17, they have provided about 3,000 bags of food. The enormity of the need is best explained by comparing the amount SAFE spend on food in 2019 — a little over $18,000 —with what they have spent in 2020 up until early October— more than $100,000. “When you give us money, we put it right back out in the community in food.” Additionally, on Thursdays SAFE’s Kids Bags have provided more than 3,000 bags of food, a program created due to the Summer Meal Program experience.
The hope is SAFE can bring in enough donations to continue providing these bags of food to kids, without decreasing anything, as long as there is any form of virtual school going on.
“The only way for us or any food pantry to be able to maintain and be of service is through donations,” Pierce explained. “Our community has been wonderful to us, and we are so grateful, but it’s not time to stop or let up.” She encourages people to donate, even if they can only afford a dollar or two because every penny adds up. “We’ve had neighborhoods do food drives. We’ll take any donations. We and other pantries need volunteers — you can sign up on our web page. We would love for people to work with us and the community and see firsthand the need,” she added.
“The only way for us or any food pantry to be able to maintain and be of service is through donations. Our community has been wonderful to us, and we are so grateful, but it’s not time to stop or let up.” —Lynne Pierce, executive director of Southern Alamance Family Empowerment (SAFE)
“If you don’t have enough food to feed your family, come and see us,” Pierce urged. “God has always seen fit to take care of us, our needs are always meet and we are here to help. You just show up and we will provide for you.”
Interested in volunteering or donating? Call SAFE at 336-525-2120 or visit their website, www.safealamance.org, to learn more.
