Our first pick up of 2021 was filled with so much warmth even if there was snow on the ground. With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we felt so much love from both our donors and our volunteers. Our facility had all the hearts your own heart could possibly handle. Warm treats from Stickboy Bread Company and fresh coffee from Hatchet were waiting for all of our volunteers ready to fuel the day if needed. We love Valentine's Day around here at the Hunger and Health Coalition. Love is what we give out just about every day, so it is no secret that a love filled holiday would be our favorite. 

     Before we even had the chance to feel all the adoration from our residents, our business organizations showered us with green bags. Our new business Artemis Independent, a small media promotions agency here in Boone, was so excited and enthusiastic about being able to give their bags to us. Mackenzie Bruckner with Artemis Independent spent some time with us last pick up and loved it so much, she got the whole organization signed up! Another new business downtown was NC Cooperative Extension. Kirsten Dillman was so excited to get her staff signed up. "It is such an easy great way to stay connected with our community, food should be available for everyone"Kirsten told us when we dropped off some bags with her.  We totally agree Kirsten! Our businesses are so important to us, they are the literal backbone of our mission and how we spread the word about A Simple Gesture. None of this would be possible without them.

         We have had a pretty unusual winter in that it has actually been a winter. The weather held out for our February 6th pick up with the chance of snow decreasing hour by hour. Even though there was some snow on the ground, the roads were all pretty much clear. Our drivers set up to pick up bags from fifteen different neighborhoods around the community. With new bags and tags in hand, our drivers were busy picking up the more than 150 bags our community donates on a Saturday pickup. New driver Adam Hege, a professor at Appalachian State University said his route was "so much fun". Adam and his family took on our beloved Blowing Rock route. If anyone has ever been around Blowing Rock you know how tricky it can be but Adam and his crew handled it like pros! We appreciate Adam and all of our drivers who give a couple hours of their Saturday to help fight food insecurity. 

        Due to COVID we are still keeping our volunteer sorters at limited capacity and this time around, we had some usual suspects with some new faces as well. Gary McCollough with Appalachian State University, spent some time with us last time and loved it so much, he came back with his whole family. Allow us to introduce you to Candace, our new Mobile Delivery Program Coordinator here at the Hunger and Health Coalition. She couldn't resist staying away from the HHC that she decided to spend some more time with us. We may not have been able to see the smiles under the mask but based off the laughter, we are pretty sure everyone had a an amazing time. 

       Mark it on your calendar, our next pick up is on April 24th and boy do we have some exciting and festive themes in place for that pick up. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for each and every green bag that has come through our doors. One green bag means one more meal, one more time a family does not have to worry about where their next meal will come from.