GASTONIA, N.C. — Every Thursday cars start lining up at midnight to receive food from Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry in Gastonia.
The pantry has been serving the community for more than 17 years. They went from feeding 300 people a week to 3,700 a week during COVID.
“It’s amazing really,” said Mt. Zion Restoration Church pastor Rodney Freeman. “I never imagined in my life that we would be doing something of this magnitude.”
The pantry receives the food from Second Harvest, but the increase in people served has put a hardship on their resources. The pantry needs more equipment continue to service the thousands of people each week.
The Junior League of Gaston County dedicated their Little Black Dress Initiative to raise funds for Bountiful Blessings.
“This year we were able to raise over $10,000 for Bountiful Blessings,” said Trish Goble, president-election of the Junior League of Gaston County.
In addition to raising funds, members of the Junior League of Gaston County volunteered Thursday morning to help distribute groceries at the food bank.
“We get so many different people from different walks of life who have never, ever met one another. But they come out here and volunteer on a Thursday to be able to bless our community,” Freeman said. “It’s something that’s absolutely amazing.”
Here is the contact information for Bountiful Blessings. Reach out to them if you'd like to volunteer or if you are in need of a donation yourself:
Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry
2311 Crescent Lane
Gastonia, N.C. 28052
Office: 704-898-5881
Fax: 704-866-0723
Email: bbfoodpantry@yahoo.com