We are so excited to announce that Feeding Avery Families has found land on which, eventually, to build our new Operation Center. It is 2.1 acres, behind WAMY and the Avery County Schools Building in Newland. It fronts on Old Vale Road and, as you can see, is fairly level from side to side. We anticipate closing later this month. We would love to be building next year, but that will require coming up with a plan, finding a builder and, of course, coming up with the money to pay for it.
It is really exciting, as this will allow us to resume client choice, where our clients gets to pick out their own food, and we can both get to know them better and help them take advantage of the other services available in Avery County. It will also permit us to get moving on our Community Health Initiative, trying to improve health and lifestyle for some of our sickest neighbors, while emphasizing Nutritional Education.
We are beginning a new partnership with ASAP – Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project to source more of our produce locally. This will give our clients fresher produce, while also letting us support the farming families in Avery and Mitchell Counties. We will be buying this food, and have received a $7,500 grant from ASAP to get started.
We will also start a new partnership with Dollar General this Fall, picking up donated food from their stores in Avery County each week. We can never have too many partners!
We are blessed with the resources available to us, and the support from all of you. Without you, we do not exist. Thanks to all of you and Thanks be to God.
-Dick Larson