Elkin, NC, July 6, 2009– Members Credit Union (MCU) will be collecting food items from now until July 18 to benefit Tri-C Christian Crisis Ministry (Tri-C). As the struggling economy takes its toll on area residents, there has been an increased demand on Tri-C’s services – especially their food pantry.
“The rise in unemployment has really strained family budgets,” says Heather Macy, Tri-C Executive Director. “Families with small children and the elderly have been hardest hit, making food drives like this essential to keeping up with the needs of the community.”
When MCU learned about these growing needs, they scrambled to find a way to help. They started by contacting Food Lion headquarters in Salisbury for permission to collect food items at the grocery store chain’s Elkin and Jonesville locations. They also offered incentives to employees to make donations. In exchange for donating five food items for Tri-C, MCU employees were allowed a casual dress day, a rarity at the credit union, on July 2. The credit union also decided to make a food drive the focus of its Grand Opening Celebration.
“There are many organizations out there that can stroke a bigger check to help a community group,” says Matt Davis, MCU Director of Public Relations. “As a cooperative financial institution, we help great organizations like Tri-C the only way we know how – by rolling up our sleeves and working side by side with them.”
MCU and Tri-C representatives will be at local Food Lion stores this Saturday, July 11, to collect donations. They will be at the Elkin location (1526 North Bridge Street) from 10am-4pm, and the Jonesville location (US Highway 67 & Highway 13) from 9am-noon and 2pm-6pm. Needed items include cereal, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti noodles, canned meat, toilet paper, shampoo, powder laundry detergent, jelly, and canned beans.
As an added incentive MCU will give anyone who donates five food items the choice of either five dollars in their new MCU deposit account, or a donation of ten dollars to Tri-C upon joining the credit union.
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About Tri-County Christian Crisis Ministry
Tri-C is an ongoing mission project of Elkin First Baptist Church. Tri-C is a local volunteer-based organization focused on helping families in crisis. Tri-C provides food and financial aid to qualified applicants in need. Tri-County Christian Crisis Ministry is open Mondays from 1 – 4:30 p.m. Its hours on Wednesday and Friday are 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. It does not accept clothing or toys. It cannot accept home canned goods, only commercially canned/bottled goods. People who cannot afford to make a donation of cash or goods are invited to come in and volunteer their labor. To learn more, call 526-1089
