Henry County Food Pantry helps local residents - Martinsville Bulletin

Henry County Food Pantry helps local residents - Martinsville Bulletin

BASSETT – Burning furniture to stay warm seems like a post-apocalyptic task, but it’s happening in present-day Bassett.

Over a decade ago, Sharon Mills, site director of the Henry County Food Pantry, got together with some friends to make a big Thanksgiving dinner.

At the end of the meal, the group had a surplus of food. Instead of tossing the extra, they packed up dinners and went door to door in the surrounding community.

“We started handing it out to families who lived close by just as something nice,” Mills said.

The residents’ reactions shocked the do-gooders. Tears of happiness, relief and gratitude met Mills behind nearly every door.

The extreme thankfulness wasn’t the only thing Mills didn’t expect. The living conditions in the neighborhood for which Mills and friends provided dinner at random were horrendous.

“I couldn’t believe these were the living conditions that I was driving by every day,” Mills said. “I thought the houses looked fine on the outside. Inside, people were breaking down. They were crying because they hadn’t eaten in days. It completely changed us, everyone that was involved that evening.”

From that moment forward, Mills and friends started working to decrease food insecurity rates in their surrounding area.

The following summer, Mills and friends partnered with Feeding America Southwest Virginia. With the nonprofit organization’s help, children in Bassett received free meals in the hottest season of the year.

Mills anticipated seeing the hungry children receiving the nutrients they needed, but did not expect what she witnessed day after day.

“They were coming barefoot in June, July and August when it was 100-degrees outside,” Mills said. “That asphalt isn’t cold.”

Opening a closet

Seeing the children without basic necessities sparked another idea. Mills and friends opened a clothes closet, where children could pick and choose gently used items for free.

One of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming instances at the free closet occurred when a child expressed excitement over a pair of previously owned underwear.

The site, which eventually became the Henry County Food Bank, helped the region through the Recession, when Mills estimated a 25-percent unemployment rate in the area.

“We helped over 800 families a month,” Mills said. “Since unemployment dropped, those able have been going to work.”

While fewer people need a box of food to help get them through the month nowadays, there are those who can’t return to the workforce who still require assistance.

“Food insecurity remains a huge issue, especially for our elderly,” Mills said. “They have an inability to work on a regular basis. They’re on a fixed income. They have medical problems, which require doctor visits and medication.”

If seniors 60 and over sign up to receive food from the Henry County Food Pantry by Tuesday, they will receive an extra box of food. There are 150 additional boxes available.

“It’s incredibly crucial. Those over 60 are familiar with gardening, but they’re not able to reap anything from their gardens at that point” in the colder months, Mills said. “Their heating bills are rising, but there’s no way for them to increase their income.”

Similar circumstances occur when an individual experiences health issues like hypertension, diabetes and cancer.

“There are underlying causes and medical issues are at the very top of the list,” Mills said.

When people experience side effects from a disease, they oftentimes miss work and go to the doctor. In extreme cases, hospitalization occurs.

Helping hands

Sometimes, people lose their jobs because they are unable to make it to the office due to their ailment. With doctor and hospital bills piling up on top of a lack of income, purchasing food becomes nearly impossible. That’s where the Henry County Food Pantry helps.

“We’re going beyond handing someone a box of food and saying, ‘good luck,’” Mills said. “We provide what you need right now and what you need to become self-sufficient.”

Mills noted that 67-percent of clients do not seek assistance for more than three months. The impressive rebound rate could be thanks in part to the Henry County Food Pantry’s connections with local businesses.

“When people are looking for work we ask them what they are looking for,” Mills said. “When we get a hit, we can match them to employers.”

Developers in the Martinsville-Henry County area created an ap, Feed The Nation, which helps the Henry County Food Pantry and other food banks across the United States pinpoint areas needing assistance through paperwork submitted by clients.

“The info we’re getting we can provide to other organizations that can get clients what they need,” Mills said.

For example, if the ap revealed a spike in diabetes in Bassett, someone in the local medical field might offer a class on diabetes prevention.

“It’s providing real-time data back to our food pantry,” Mills said.

A nonprofit organization, the Henry County Food Pantry relies on community donations, including financial assistance and nonperishable food items.

“We’re willing to accept any type of donation at any time,” Mills said. “Financial donations are the greatest benefit because we can buy an entire pound of food for $0.19.”

Other needs include a new garage door, pallet jacks, freezers and refrigerators.

For those interested in making a donation or for those seeking assistance, call the Henry County Food Pantry at (276) 629-1369 or stop by the facility located at 3289 Riverside Drive in Bassett. Any person seeking assistance must provide an ID featuring their date of birth.

Amie Knowles reports for the Martinsville Bulletin