The Rotary Club of Valdese is in a district with about 50 other clubs. We are able to apply for matching grant money from the district. Last year, we were awarded a grant for Stop Hunger Now. This year, we are submitting for the Valdese Area Ministerial Association. We will learn in August if we have been awarded the grant ($3000 = $1500 from district + $1500 from our club).
The Valdese Area Ministerial Association meets monthly and coordinates the needs of the community. The ministers make sure basic needs are met and there is no wasted overlap between projects. Association church congregations support the other churches in the group with donations (of goods, money and service) for their program. These are the churches and their outreach missions:
First United Methodist Church Valdese (FUMCV) –
• Hygiene Closet (cleaning supplies and personal hygiene) – First Monday of the Month – 80 people served per month
• Backpack Ministries (food for children to take home from school during school year and delivered to home in summer) – every week during school year and summer – 30 kids served at Valdese Elem, Heritage Middle, Draughn HS
• Food Truck – (extra food from Metrolina Food Bank brought in on large truck) – 2 times a year – averages 175 families served at each event
Waldensian Presbyterian Church (WPC) –
• Food Pantry (food is from church garden and non-perishable food collected from community) – Thursday 2-4 pm, 120 served per month
• Garden – one acre garden raising produce for the church’s Community Assistance Ministry which also serves approximately 150 families per month. The garden produce is also distributed through the Valdese housing authority and their three low income housing projects. Last year nearly a ton of food was raised.
Valdese First Christian Church (VFCC) –
• Dry Bottoms (diapers and baby hygiene), 2nd and 4th Tues, 2-4pm – 50 people served per month
Valdese Cornerstone Baptist (VCB) –
• School Supplies (distributed in August at the start of the school year), 100 students served via identified by teachers
Valdese First Baptist (VFB) –
• Clothing Closet (used clothing donated from community) – Every Tuesday, 2-4pm – need donations of new underwear and socks – averages 50 served per month
Valdese Mount Calvary Baptist (VMCB) –
• My Essentials Pantry – (rice & beans, small bag of cleaning, hygiene, other food) – can stop in once a month – 20 people served a month
• Backpacks Hallyburton Academy (alternative middle and high school) – 1 weekend/month, 21 students served
Drexel First Baptist Church (DFBC) –
• Backpacks Hallyburton Academy (alternative school) – 2 weekends/month, 21 students served
• BREAD – Food Ministry – 2nd Sunday of the Month, 80 families served
Rutherford College Abernethy Memorial United Methodist Church (RCAMUMC)–
• Food Pantry – provides food last Saturday of the month, some over-the-counter medicines and hygiene products. Grant money would be used to purchase feminine hygiene products 300 families served
The $3000 from the District Grant ($1500 from district and $1500 matching from Valdese Rotary) will be divided across alliance projects that need supplies purchased. Project leaders often spend more time shopping and stocking than distributing and interacting with recipients.
Rotarian Volunteer Hours for shopping with grant money and stocking shelves with purchases, 6 hours (would include 2 different shopping trips with stocking – just one big dump may be overwhelming) for each (9 ministries) with 2 members assigned to each shopping trip – 6 hours x 9 projects x 2 members = 108 hours.
The allocation of money will be
• Hygiene Closet (FUMCV) $330
• Backpacks (FUMCV) $330
• Food Pantry (WPC) $330
• Dry Bottoms (VFCC) $330
• School Supplies (VCB) $360
• Clothing Closet (VFB) $330
• Essentials (VMCB) $330
• Backpacks(VMCB & DFBC) $330
• Food Pantry (RCAMUMC) $330
Rotarian Volunteer Hours at church projects – no money provided for this part, just service hours to support the alliance
Food Truck – 2 truck days – 6 people x 2 hours = 24 service hours
Garden Day – 10 people x 2 hours x 2 times = 40 service hours
Clothing Closet – 2 work days x 4 people x 2 hours = 16 hours
BREAD – 2 work days x 4 people x 2 hours = 16 hours
Total for non-money projects= 100 Hours
Total Rotarian Hours for Project = 208 Hours