Wake County is a wealthy county, home to millionaires and thousands of families living in houses ranging in value from $900,000 to $200,000.
And there are whole families living in their cars.
Wake Forest is wealthy also, even though there are no millionaire palaces. And it is generous, donating to the Tri-Area Ministry Food Bank with volunteers, money and food.
There is a growing number of families needing the 100 pounds of food a month Tri-Area Ministry provides, an increase just recently from 1,800 to 1,925 families needing food. That is up from 1,500 families in 2023 to 1,925 now.
There is probably no one answer as to why the need has grown. Perhaps it is because Tri-Area’s food assistance is serving an ever-growing area out to and beyond Rolesville, north into Franklin County.
The worrying aspect is that the need continues to grow.
The wonderful fact is that Tri-Area Ministry Food Bank continues to meet that need as it grows.
The Gazette editor met last week with Michael Burger, chairman of the board for the ministry, in its warehouse, once the Northern Wake EMS and Rescue Squad building at 149 East Holding Avenue. Tri-Area purchased the building in 2000, moving from a building on West Owen Avenue opposite the Community House. There it dealt mostly with clothing and continued to do so for several years.
After Burger rummaged around to find two chairs – no one sits down at Tri-Area – we looked at the piles and stacks and shelves filled with non-perishable food: soups, canned fruit, peanut butter and the jelly to go with it, and much more that nearly filled the building where the interior walls have been removed.
Tri-Area Ministry, Burger said, never asks why you show up at their door. It is none of their business. The fact that you, your family, needs food help is enough. To receive food , Burger said, all a family has to do is go to Tri-Area Ministry, give the family name and address as well as the number of family members with their age and gender. “That’s it,” he said. “That’s all.” Tri-Area Ministry intentionally sets a low bar for eligibility, not requiring ID or a referral, with no income threshold or residency restriction.
That family is then empowered to receive 100 pounds of food every month on a regular schedule. The food bank distributes to the families on the scheduled list every Monday and Wednesday and on the second and third Saturdays of the month.
Burger said Tri-Area differs from other food banks in that it provides the same staples every week plus extras depending on the season or other variable. “People know what they are going to get. They can depend on it,” Burger said.
What is in 100 pounds of food? Burger said the bags of food include a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, some kind of meat, six eggs – they cannot afford a dozen — fresh vegetables in season, a can of soup, cans of whole meals like stew, and of course the peanut butter and jelly. After that they add whatever the central food bank gave out and any seasonal extra. One of the volunteers, Board Member Armin Harrell, takes the donated dozen-sized egg cartons home and saws them in half.
On distribution days, the 30 regular volunteers pack the bags in one of the PODs as other volunteers carry the cans and boxes from the station to the pod, then take the bags to the distribution area.
The families check in at the large oak tree and then drive through, stopping three times for the bags of food before leaving. It is a simple process and it works for the 175 or so families who are helped each of the distribution days in the month.
In 2023, he said, there were about 1,500 families enrolled at Tri-Area; now the number is 1,925 and growing. They serve families who are living in their cars. “You can tell when you look in the cars when you are handing in the bags,” Burger said.
Along with the 30 regular volunteers, Tri-Area also has about 150 people who volunteer occasionally. They can always use more.
“The Wake Forest community has been very generous to us,” Burger said, ‘and they have been increasing their donations as we increase the number of people we serve.”
Right now the volunteers are preparing for the extra food help each family will receive for Thanksgiving.
As they have done for many years, Tri-Area Ministry and the Wake Forest Police Department – please donate to its Turkey Drive – will give away 1,200 turkeys and the side dishes, the fixings, from 7 to 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 25. A large turnout is expected at Tri-Area Ministry, and Burger is asking for volunteers to help with the crowd. If you can help, send an email to Donna.Jamieson@triareaministry.com.
The bags filled with the fixings include stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes/yams, mushroom soup, gravy, cornbread/biscuit mix and crispy onions. You can find the list on their Amazon Wish List.
There are two donation events for Tri-Area Ministry soon. Both Wake Forest Chick-fil-A locations are hosting a Food Drive on Thursday, November 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. to benefit Tri-Area Ministry Food Pantry. Bring in 5 cans of food, and you’ll receive a “Be Our Guest” card for a FREE Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. We need volunteers at both locations to collect donations during the drive. Click HERE to sign up for a shift, and make sure to note which location you’re signing up for!
Mark your calendars for December 14! The annual Frosty Run 5k/10k is happening in downtown Wake Forest, and Tri-Area Ministry will be there! All net proceeds benefit our pantry. Volunteers are needed on race day, making this a great opportunity for students in need of service hours. Visit 2024 Frosty Run for more details.
Burger said his family moved to Wake Forest 13 years ago. About nine years ago, he was at the U.S. Post Office across the street, looked over, saw a line, wondered what it was, came over and asked. He became a volunteer, then was named to the board and pretty quickly became the chairman.
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