WE CARE To Host Grocery Drive-By, Pick-Up

MARTIN (June 23) — WE CARE Ministries and Prairie Farms are hosting a Grocery Drive-By and Pick-Up this Thursday, June 25, 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The event is intended to benefit local dairy farmers and members of the community.

WE CARE Ministries and Prairie Farms are assisting with food and milk products at the WE CARE store located at 530 North Lindell Street in Martin, which is inside the former Fred’s store building.

Volunteers will load the groceries, either inside the vehicles or in the trunks, as long as supplies last.

No information is needed for this event. No more than two families per vehicle will be served.

All recipients must be present. They are asked to follow the signs on Lindell Street for the car line.

“Volunteers are needed,” WE CARE Director Betty Baker said. “We truly need some muscle to help load the boxes of milk products. Anyone willing to volunteer is asked to contact WE CARE Ministries at 587-6257.”

Baker says Thursday’s Grocery Drive-By and Pick-Up is the second such event this year. On April 21, a similar event targeted people laid off from work, including MTD, food services, local factories and other businesses. Many of these were people having difficulty applying for unemployment online. “They weren’t signed up for anything to happen quickly,” she said. “They were hurting pretty badly.” Baker states 220 volunteers helped distribute food to 480 families and none were turned away due to running out of groceries.

She explained, the grocery give-a-way on Thursday was suggested by Prairie Farms, which is donating milk products. WE CARE purchased groceries to give away along with the milk products.

“It helps our farmers. It helps our community. It’s a win-win for everybody all the way around,” Baker said.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, WE CARE held approximately one grocery give-away each year.

She said, “WE CARE serves the whole county with assistance year-round.”

“The community and our churches are great to pitch in and help us,” Baker said. “Many of the people in our community are struggling. Anybody can be poor for a moment. We want to be a part of helping them get through that difficult time.”

“Our purpose statement is ‘Offering the hope of Christ beyond the help of the crisis’. “That is our main goal – to help people look beyond their circumstances to see there is always hope and a way beyond them.”

Some of the areas of assistance are as follows: assistance with rent and utilities; limited medical services including vision and dental; education and literacy; a food bank; paid meals-on-wheels for the elderly; school supplies for children; a disaster and immediate needs program to provide clothing, household items, furniture, etc. for those who lost their belongings in a fire or other disaster, baby clothes and other baby items such as car seats; a Christmas program for families; a new program called “Rise Above” with the purpose of helping clients rise above their circumstances with technical training skills that will lift them out of poverty; encouragement devotional service once each month; and the business and industry partners program, which helps injured workers while they are off the job and earning no income.

“We’re a busy little place,” Baker said.

WE CARE Thrift Store is open 10 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon.

WE CARE offers food, rent, and utility assistance Monday and Thursday, 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

The store is operated with a staff of 14 employees. Four of them are full time and 10 are part-time employees. An average of 70 volunteers per week also assists in the charitable work conducted by the organization. “A lot of the community is invested in helping us do the work,” Baker said.

She explained the WE CARE Thrift Store is open to the public and there are items for every budget.

“When people shop in our store, it provides money for us to have events like this one,” Baker said. “It’s neighbors helping neighbors.”

For additional details, visit the WE CARE Thrift Facebook page, the charity’s website at wecareministries.net or call 587-6257.