Holiday Food Drive Kicks Off |
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IAM's annual Holiday Food Drive kicks off on October 11th. Please help us collect a variety of traditional holiday foods to be distributed to our neighbors in need during the holiday season in November and December
Your holiday food donations allow IAM to provide local residents facing a short-term or long-term financial crisis with all of the ingredients they need to prepare a special holiday meal in their own homes for either Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Your donations help turn the stress of the holidays into joy for hundreds of local families with children and senior citizens who otherwise would not get to enjoy a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner at home. Each household gets to choose a turkey or ham. Small to medium turkeys (8-14 lbs.) are best and hams can be fresh or canned hams.
Donations will be accepted through December 10th on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please call IAM at 828-697-7029 to arrange the pick-up of large donations
Thank you for sharing the joy of the season with our neighbors who struggle so hard to make ends meet every day of the year.
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Meet Our Newest Team Members |
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IAM is thrilled to welcome three new employees to our amazing team! Please help us welcome: |
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Ragan Story (left, replacing Dianne King, who has retired) has joined IAM as our new Volunteer Manager. Ragan is already making an impact with her enthusiasm and organization. She comes to us after eight years of working with the YMCA. "Nonprofit work combines my passion for leadership, helping people, and serving my community." volunteer@iam-hc.org. |
Karol Murray is our new Food Assistance Department Manager (replacing our long-time pantry manager Ernest Brown, who has retired). Karol, who moved to Hendersonville from Michigan with her family, brings a bounty of experience as a Kitchen Director for a large summer camp and retreat center and as a manager of a Planet Fitness. "I'm excited to be able to follow my passion for helping people and look forward to working with the great volunteers and staff at IAM."
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IAM is thrilled to welcome Robert Comingore as General Manager of our new IAM Thrift Store which is scheduled to open later this year. Robert has valuable retail experience and is excited to be part of our newest program to further promote and fund IAM's critical mission. "I was looking for something that was closer to my heart and more mission bound. I'm very excited to be at IAM!" Welcome, Robert!
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Thank You for your Continued Compassionate Giving! |
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IAM's Food and Clothing Needs for October |
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IAM is blessed with wonderful volunteers and, as our operations continue to expand, we are looking for new volunteers to help us meet the growing demand for our crisis services.
We have volunteer needs in four categories for one or more half-day shifts:
Intake Interviewers:
This position involves meeting with neighbors (by phone or in-person, based on COVID surges) to determine their specific needs and help assess what IAM can provide for them and help direct them to other safety-net agencies that can also help with legal services, housing, behavioral health, medical needs and more.
Bilingual Intake Interviewers: As the number of Latino families we are assisting increases, our need for bilingual intake interviewers is growing.
Thrift Store Volunteers:
We anticipate opening our new Thrift Store later this year or early next year. When operations begin, we will need volunteers to serve as check-out cashiers, pricers and sorters. We are excited about the potential of the new store and would love to discuss this opportunity with interested persons.
File Manager:
We need volunteers who can help us maintain and organize our case files for our neighbors in need.
To learn more about volunteer positions at IAM, please click on the link below or contact Ragan Story, Volunteer Manager, at volunteer@iam-hc.org.
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IAM wishes to thank The Cannon Foundation for their very generous grant of $65,000 to be used towards the purchase of a refrigerated truck that will allow us to deliver fresh and frozen food to distribution points throughout Henderson County.
The truck will allow us to expand our service reach and make it easier for neighbors without adequate transportation to more easily access food from IAM. The Cannon Foundation helped us purchase our smaller box truck four years ago!
The Cannon Foundation was established in 1943 by Charles A. Cannon, President, and CEO of Cannon Mills Company. The Foundation continues his philanthropic legacy by funding capital and equipment projects for organizations across Mr. Cannon’s home state of North Carolina.
Thank you, Cannon Foundation!
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Construction of our new IAM Thrift Store has begun in earnest and we are excited to see the building process begin to accelerate! With construction at the mercy of weather and the supply chain, we are hoping that the new store will be open by mid-December or mid-January. The store will be located at 119 Jack Street which is directly behind and adjacent to our offices.
Due to our available storage capacity, we have temporarily suspended accepting donations to the Thrift Store. We do, however, have a particular need for zippered bags used to package bed sets, comforters, and large blankets. The Thrift Store will need them for our linen department.
As soon as we have sufficient storage to resume accepting donations, we will make an announcement. Learn more about what donations the Thrift Store will be able to accept here.
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IAM's entire staff met at Patton Park to participate in the 2021 Hunger Walk. We are very grateful to the Henderson County Hunger Coalition for organizing this wonderful event each year. We are proud to partner with them in their inspirational fight against food insecurity in our community! |
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Thank You Emily, Judy, and Dianne! |
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IAM gathered last month to say so long and thank you to three of our wonderful team members. Judy Bolman, Grant Writer and Special Projects Assistant; Dianne King, Volunteer Manager; and Emily McDuffy, Co-Social Services Manager. All three have made exceptional contributions to IAM and we are a better organization because of their hard work, passion for our mission, and their commitment to helping others in need.
We will miss seeing them every day (although we hope they come back to visit often) and want them to know how blessed we are because of their service and friendship!
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Bid on IAM's Downtown Bear! |
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You can bid on IAM's beautiful bear, "Meadow", and help raise funds for IAM!
Bidding is underway for the 2021 Bearfootin' Bear auction, and Meadow is sure to add a colorful flair to her new home. Great thanks to our amazing artist collaborator, Teresa Duncan, and our generous sponsor, United Community Bank of Hendersonville. This is the third bear that Teresa has painted for IAM, donating her time and all of the painting materials needed to create beautiful Meadow!
Online bidding for all the Downtown Bears will continue through Saturday, October 16th at 6 p.m. There is a 'Buy Now' option that guarantees you get to take Meadow home. The "Buy Now" option ends Thursday, October 14 at 5 p.m.
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Don't Have Time to Donate Food and Clothes? |
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Your heartfelt contribution to IAM will make an extraordinary difference in the lives of those who are struggling — right now when they need it the most. Thank you for sharing your tax return refunds and other funds to help local residents who are burdened by the intense stresses of living in a constant state of desperate need.
Mail your donations to:
PO Box 2562
Hendersonville, NC 28793
or
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Because we purchase in bulk and often receive generous discounts from our vendors, your dollars can go even further when you make a direct contribution to IAM. Every dollar you provide helps IAM purchase food for four meals from MANNA FoodBank, our Feeding America partner. |
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Or mail your check to:
IAM | PO Box 2562 | Hendersonville, NC 28793
Thank You!
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Interfaith Assistance Ministry
PO Box 2562
Hendersonville, NC 28793
Phone: (828) 697-7029
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