By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Sydnie Lacy could have been hanging out at home on a Sunday afternoon, but instead, the 16-year-old, along with others from her church, donated food to Rowan Helping Ministries.
Sydnie and other members of Christ United Methodist Church participated in the “Trick or Treat So Others May Eat” project.
They were one church youth group among many that gave food to the agency.
Area churches asked people in different neighborhoods to donate food items. They distributed grocery bags a week ago and picked them up Sunday and delivered them to Rowan Helping Ministries.
The food goes to the food pantry to help with crisis assistance for families, said Executive Director Kyna Foster.
“These food drives really sustain us,” Foster said.
Through collecting the food, it Sydnie gained a sense of what else is going on in the world around her, she said.
“We need to see that others have a story. They are people who have been through something,” she said.
Earlier this year, Sydnie and a few others from the church donated clothes to the agency.
The youth of the church, which is located on N.C. 150, decided to make donating items a friendly competition to see who could give out more bags and who could collect more bags. The boys and the girls each won giving and collecting bags.
“As teens, one of the few things we can do is give back to the community,” said Michaela Williams, 15, also of Christ United Methodist Church.
Tristan McDaniel, 12, also of Christ United Methodist Church participated in the project last year.
“A lot of people don’t think about the people who don’t have,” he said.
The church collected 483 pounds of food.
“More people should be involved,” Tristan said.
There were about five teens from Jerusalem Baptist Church who brought in about 30 bags. The teens are a part of Serving Christ on Planet Earth or SCOPE.
“The kids had really been interested,” said Youth Coordinator Brooke Lowder.
She hopes the teens realize the importance of helping others.
The church, located in Mocksville, also hosts a free Thanksgiving day meal for people in the community.
They’ve also had teens serve breakfast at the shelter.
“We passed bags out to the congregation and out to the community,” Lowder said.
Jaydon Brown, 12, of Gethsemane Baptist Church in Salisbury said he thinks it’s good to help others.
“We are here helping people who are less fortunate. It’s good that everybody pitches in,” he said.
“It’s a needed service and we try to help in any way we can,” said Valerie Dowd, also with Gethsemane.
Dowd said the church reached out to the Ellis, Thomas and Fulton streets area.
Many people also gave monetary donations as well, she said.
“We are all in it together,” Dowd said.
The church also participated last year.
Last year the community donated more than 7,000 pounds of food.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.