FRANKLIN CO., VA. – This story is part of a series called “Solutionaries,” where we set out to explore innovative ways people are working to fight problems we’re all facing. Inflation, affordable housing, the climate crisis, and much more. You can find hours of stories here.
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We’re seeing higher prices on everything. For people on a fixed income, that means tough decisions. What do you pay for when you have a limited income? Do you pay for your electric bill, gas, or food?
This month, our Solutionaries team is showing you how groups are coming together to fight food insecurity. Food insecurity is in every community but in Franklin County, we found a community rallying together to help their own neighbors.
Every two weeks, the ‘Moo Crew’, members from the Rocky Mount Rotary Club buy 20 gallons of milk from Kroger and deliver it to His Cupboard.
The money is donated every week from Rotarians.
“It hurts. I mean, just hard for me to believe that, in this area that’s going on and I worry about it. I mean, I really do. Doing what we do, as far as delivering the milk, it makes you feel good, but still, you know, it’s still in the back of your mind that there are people you know that don’t have,” said Jay Prillaman, a member.
“We usually give milk and bread and meat and cereal, and we’ll give them some fruit, vegetables and different things like spaghetti, and macaroni and cheese, pinto beans and this some time odds and ends stuff to go with it,” said Wayne Clemons, who volunteers at His Cupboard.
25-30 families come to the food pantry every week in Boones Mill.
“God provided your food and we just distributed out as His servants and trying to minister to people that need it. Anybody that comes here and ask for food, we give it to them,” said Clemons.
“It means a lot. It shows that our community cares about their people,” said Edith Miller, a His Cupboard client.
Miller says one box of food helps feed her for three weeks. She has cancer and is worried about getting to the doctor with how much gas is now too.
“It helps to not to have to struggle so much. They always try to give you at least meat. There’s things down here that I normally wouldn’t buy because I can’t afford some of it,” said Miller.
“For me personally, it’s hard for one person to do something alone. But when you get with a group like Rocky Mount Rotary, you can do so much more as a group. That’s why I do it, to serve our community,” said Prillaman.
10 News helped surprise them. We told Kroger about what the ‘Moo Crew’ was doing, and Kroger wanted to help both organizations.
One morning in May, when the Rotarians were picking up milk, they were surprised at the cash register by the manager who said Kroger was paying for that day’s milk, and giving both the Rocky Mount Rotary Club and His Cupboard each $250 gift cards to buy what they need in the future.
The Moo Crew has now delivered more than 400 gallons of milk in the last year and plans to keep going until the money runs out. To donate, you can make a check payable to the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount and send it to Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, PO Box 224, Rocky Mount, VA 24151.
His Cupboard runs entirely on donations and there are several ways to donate:
- Paypal at His Cupboard
- Mail to: His Cupboard, P.O. Box 230, Boones Mill, VA 24065
- In person on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the building behind the Old Boones Mill Train Station.
They don’t turn anyone away, no matter where you are from.
This story is part of a new program at WSLS 10, Solutionaries. Solutions offer hope and that’s the belief of Solutionaries, a show from our parent company, Graham Media Group, focusing on those who are taking on some of our biggest challenges. Each episode focuses on effective responses to problems and offers viewers ways they can join the effort for positive change.
We tackle one topic at a time, highlighting problems many of us are dealing with and the solutions that are out there. The solution could be in our backyard, or something else that’s working across the country.
You can check out our story on fighting inflation with creative ways to keep food costs down from March here and urban heat islands in Virginia and their deadly effects from February here.
You’ll see new Solutionaries episodes each month here on WSLS.com, and on your go-to streaming device using the 10 News Now app. And, we’d love you to subscribe on YouTube!