May 30, 2024 - Shelby County outreach Ministries (SCOM) Food Pantry received a donation from The Lily Farm on May 17, 1014, in the amount of $2,630.
Sherry Harding, SCOM Executive Director; Josh Crawford, SCOM Administrative Assistant; and Roy Blackshear were present to receive the check from Mark Carpenter on behalf of the organization.
“Every year for Mother's Day, we've been doing this for maybe seven years now,” said Carpenter. “I just give a bunch of stuff away from the farm, as raffles on Mother's Day and it's in honor kind of, of my mom. My mom's one of the most giving people that I've ever known in my life and so I do it to honor her. She's still alive and that's why I do it, I want to do it while she's alive.”
Carpenter explained that every year a different charity has been chosen to receive the benefit of the Lily Farm fundraiser. Past recipients have been the Shelby County Children’s Advocacy Center, Meals-on-Wheels, and mental health among others.
With the cost of food continuing to be so high, Carpenter said that he and his wife thought it would be beneficial to contribute to SCOM to assist with those in the greatest need of food assistance. Even though there may be some that abuse such assistance he realizes the majority really are in need.
“The bulk of the people there, they don’t necessarily want to be going there, but they need help,” said Carpenter. “I felt pretty passionately this year this would be a really good cause to help people out, and this was the most money we’ve ever raised.”
Carpenter said this was made possible through the generous support of people from within and outside of Shelby County.
“This is something we’re real proud of,” said Carpenter.
Sherry Harding stated the organization has gained 70 new families since January. This is an enormous increase in such a short period of time and it shows how much of an impact the economy is having on people everywhere.
“We’re hitting like 400 at least every month in food boxes, and then the seniors we’re feeding over at the Senior Nutrition Site,” said Harding. “When you have these people living on limited income, 88% of our seniors we serve are living on $800 or less a month. A pretty good margin of those living under $600 or less, also. Everything is such a blessing to have help.”
Support by local businesses who are contributing back to the community as often as possible as it appears to be needed more now than ever to help keep our local families from going hungry.
