Serving thousands of families across the state, the impact of Samaritan’s Feet partnering with the North Carolina Community Action Association (NCCAA) was vast and wide. And, it was just enough relief for thousands of families in North Carolina to take one more step.
Charity Donations Provide Relief Across North Carolina
The gym was filled with children running around and eager parents walking up to each table. Music played loudly on the sound system with giveaway announcements breaking the tunes every so often. It was a resource fair in Statesville, North Carolina providing charity donations such as household cleaning items, food, medical assistance, and lots of new sneakers to anyone who needed it.
This event was one of many that took place in partnership with the North Carolina Community Action Association (NCCAA) and 13 local agencies across the state. From the mountains of western North Carolina to the beaches of eastern North Carolina, over 25,000 children, adults, and seniors received new shoes and other charity donations through these events.
“We understand that COVID-19 is still prevalent in all of our communities and we want to make sure that as we move from pandemic to progress that we still meet the needs of those that are in these counties we serve,” said Dr. Landon Mason, Executive Director of Economic Improvement Council, Edenton.
Not unlike other states, the poverty rate in North Carolina increased drastically since COVID-19 causing families and communities to still feel the impact of that. To help support families with their increasing and ongoing needs, distribution events were held in some of the more impoverished areas of North Carolina like Lumberton in Robeson County, which has one of the higher poverty rates of the state at 27.1%, and Enfield in Halifax County, which has a poverty rate of 25.6% (American Community Survey, 2022).
How Our Charity Donations Are Helping North Carolina
“We’re helping families impacted by the pandemic. Families are coming through and getting much needed products. We’re giving out gas cards, fresh fruits, back to school supplies, hand sanitizers, baby products, and not to mention, nearly 30,000 pairs of shoes with Samaritan’s Feet. You name it, we’re excited about it,” said Sharon Goodson, Executive Director, NCCAA.
At a NCCAA event in Charlotte, a mom was seen jumping up and down after seeing the shoes her child would be getting saying, “I am so happy.” A grandma spoke to a volunteer about how times were very tough for her right now. Then she smiled big as she got a new pair of shoes for her grandson, and also for herself saying she couldn’t remember the last time she got a new pair of shoes for herself.
A little bit can certainly go a long way, especially for families who are still feeling the effects of COVID-19.
“This opportunity for families to get supplies, it provides a little bit of relief. It’s not eternal, but it is some relief. It’s temporary, but it may be just enough to get someone off the edge financially, it may show just enough encouragement to someone to take another step towards self sufficiency, it may be just enough love to cause someone to stay on the right path, it may be just enough hope to cause someone not to cry today when they cried all night long, it may be just enough relief to put a meal on someone’s table tonight,” said Duncan.
NCCAA In Action
Check out this video to see one of our first distribution events with the North Carolina Community Action Association.
