The Walmart Foundation recently awarded a $33,000 grant to Rowan Helping Ministries to provide food for people in need in Rowan County.

The funding came from the Walmart Foundation State Giving Program in January and has been used to purchase nonperishable food and equipment used in food operations.

“We are extremely grateful for this very generous donation,” said Kyna Grubb, executive director of the agency. “This is the first time we have received funding from the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program, and it came at a very needed time – as we were heading into the months when the food supply in our food pantry starts declining. We are very thankful for Walmart’s support because it kept us from having to reduce the amount of food we normally distribute to clients who depend on us for their next few days of meals.”

Rowan Helping Ministries also used some of the money to purchase a commercial-size scale needed to weigh food distributed to clients, Grubb said.  

“The Walmart Foundation is proud to be supporting the outstanding work of Rowan Helping Ministries,” said Walmart spokeswoman Brook Mueller. “We understand the food pantry supplies decrease in the summer months, so it’s the perfect time for a major donation from the Walmart Foundation.”

Food donations from the community typically peak during Thanksgiving and Christmas and then start declining as people get busy with spring activities and planning for the end of school and summer vacations, when donations are at their lowest.   

From Jan. 1 through June 30, the food pantry at Rowan Helping Ministries distributed more than 457,000 pounds of groceries to 10,527 households in Rowan County.

One order averages about 44 pounds and includes canned and other nonperishable food as well as bread, produce, meat and deli items. Most of the food is donated by individuals, families and businesses in the community.

Funding from grants and donations is used to supplement items that are needed but not donated.

Rowan Helping Ministries plans to use the last of its Walmart grant to purchase a refrigerator for the food pantry, Grubb said.

The food pantry has an ongoing need for donated food, both perishable and nonperishable, Grubb said. Donations are accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the dock behind the Ralph W. Ketner Center at 226 N. Long St.

For more information, call 704-637-6838, Ext. 100.