By Susan Shinn
sshinn@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Mornings are a bustling place at Main Street Mission.
The rooms are not only filled with food waiting to be distributed, but with volunteers willing to help.
Food distribution takes place 1:30-4 p.m. Monday and Friday and 8:30-11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday.
Most of the volunteers who work during the day are retirees, and director Anne Corriher says the mission could not function without their help.
“A lot of people could not fill our day spots,” Corriher says. “We couldn’t do anything without our volunteers.”
This morning happens to be the first day for volunteers Andy and Dee Stefanick of China Grove.
The Stefanicks moved here in November, and one of their neighbors told them about Main Street Mission.
“We’ve met such nice people here,” Dee Stefanick says.
“I’ve lived here all my life and I don’t want to live anywhere else,” says Frances Staton of Landis. She and husband Jim bring donations from Trinity Lutheran Church each Thursday morning.
The Statons have been volunteering at the mission for about six years. The children at Trinity bring canned goods during the children’s sermon each week, and the congregation is asked to donate the first Sunday of the month.
“We usually bring in about 12 Food Lion plastic bags,” Staton says.
“It amountsover a year’s time.”
Staton goes on to explain that Trinity had a food pantry, but closed it when the mission opened.
“This was perfect,” she says. “There are more people around. I like the volunteer work and I think everybody needs to have enough to eat.”
Staton says she especially has empathy for older people living on Social Security.
“And nobody wants to see children hungry,” she adds.
Staton says she enjoys their weekly visits.
“Everybody ought to do something for somebody else one way or the other, if they’re able,” she says.
You could call Michael Luther the director’s right-hand man.
He comes to the mission every day.
“He finds it in his heart to come and volunteer and help me,” Corriher says.
“I was just praying one day and I had some spare time, and I asked the Lord to open a door for me and he opened up a huge garage door for me,” Luther says. “Anne had too much on her. I just assist her with whatever she needs.”
Luther is associate pastor at Grace Christian Church.
“This is a great place if you want to help the community,” he says.
Main Street Mission works closely with Rowan Helping Ministries and Second Harvest Food Bank.
“Right now, we are keeping up with the demand,” Luther says. “We’ve been blessed here by support of our local churches. It’s the best it’s ever been.”
Robert Ellis, who attends First Methodist Church in Landis, brings groceries once a month.
“I am in charge of missions at our church,” says Ellis, who took over that responsibility when Bob Black died.
Marianne Wilson and her husband Dave attend Bethel Baptist Church in Rockwell. This is her seventh year of volunteering at the mission.
Her husband can no longer attend because of his health, but is still interested in the work that goes on here.
They retired to the area after living in Georgia for many years, and stopped by the mission one day to “see what was going on.”
“We came and helped and we were hooked,” Wilson says. “It’s a fulfilling feeling to help people and talk to people and witness to them when we have the opportunity.”
Wilson keeps busy with filing and signing in clients.
“There were times we didn’t have enough food,” she says, although the generosity of churches and other local organizations means the shelves are full for now.
On a recent Thursday morning, Wilson signed in 31 families to receive groceries from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
Ronnie and Sheila Nance of China Grove attend church at Mount Zion United Church of Christ with Corriher, the director.
“When we retired, we wanted to do some volunteer work,” Sheila Nance says.
The couple once worked on Okracoke Island for eight weeks in the summer. Then they decided they wanted to volunteer locally. They’ve been coming to the mission for three years.
When asked why, they simultaneously answer “Anne.”
“Anne’s the spark plug,” Nance says. “Our job is to come and support her.”
“It just takes a whole community,” Sheila Nance says. “One church can’t do it.
“We make things fun and we smile a lot,” Nance says.
Nance, who’s a new board member, adds, “You always want to work with people who are happy and positive and Anne is both.”
Corriher always welcomes new volunteers.
“There’s all kinds of ways to help,” Corriher says ó everything from helping with the voluminous amount of recycling to housekeeping and other chores.

For more information about Main Street Mission, call 704-855-2909.