Special to IFN
As families in Western North Carolina struggle with the lack of so many necessities due to Hurricane Helene, the Statesville Longest Table planning committee and event sponsors have decided to cancel the event scheduled for Tuesday, October 8.
“Instead of gathering at The Table as a community, we are extending our community’s generosity to Western NC. Cheney Brothers, the food supplier for our Longest Table event, is working with emergency food providers to have the food that was originally intended for our events be delivered to Western NC instead,” explained Jody Taylor, director of Marketing at the United Way of Iredell County.
“The planning committee regrets we will no longer be serving a meal to our communities in Iredell County, but we strongly believe this decision embodies our philosophy for this year’s Longest Table: The Power of WE.”
The Longest Table committee members and community volunteers will still be gathering in downtown Statesville off North Mulberry Street on Tuesday, October 8, to collect supplies for our neighbors both at home and communities in Western NC.
“We would love to see everyone who already planned on experiencing the Power of We come help us show Western NC that WE includes all of North Carolina!” said Taylor. “Not only will we be sending the food west, but we will also be collecting needed items to go to Western NC. In addition, we want to ensure we are taking care of our community right here in Iredell County, so we will still be collecting canned goods for our local Food Pantries as originally planned.”
Collection items to donate are as follows:
Western NC Needs
♦ Baby Wipes
♦ Diapers & Pull-ups
♦ Soap
♦ Toothpaste & Toothbrushes
♦ Disinfectant Wipes
Statesville Community Needs
♦ Canned Vegetables
♦ Canned Fruit
♦ Canned Soup/Pasta
♦ Canned Meat
♦ Canned Milk
Drop-Off Details
Organizers will be accepting these donations from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, on N. Mulberry Street in Statesville. Please enter N. Mulberry Street off Walnut Street to drop off your donation and exit onto West End Avenue. Please only bring the items being requested due to specific distribution requirements.