What's Happening Now at Outreach 

Meet Outreach Summer Interns, Grace Ingham and Sam Korzelius

Thanks to the Polk County Community Foundation and their Summer Intern Grant, Outreach was able to hire two student interns again this summer - Grace Ingham and Sam Korzelius. 
The Summer Intern program is a great benefit to both students and Outreach - students gain experience working in a professional environment and learn important job skills and Outreach gains valuable help during a busy summer season. Summer interns go through an interview process and once selected, work at Outreach 24 hours each week for 8 weeks.

Ingham is a 17 year old rising senior at South Carolina Governor's School for Arts and Humanities. She says she wanted to intern at Outreach this summer because she likes to help other people.
"I wanted a summer job that I felt confident about. Everyday I know what I'm doing will help people and that's a really nice feeling. So far, I love it," said Ingham.  "I've learned that helping people is my passion. If I change my goals in life, they still have to be for a greater good."
Ingham says she wants to study neuroscience/cognitive science in the premed track, with a focus in Deaf Studies. "My goal is to be a physician who specializes in helping deaf patients around the world," Ingham says.

Korzelius is a 17 year old rising senior at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Sam applied for the Outreach internship because he wanted the opportunity to help the less fortunate citizens in his community.
"Working at Outreach has been a real eye-opener," Korzelius said. "I never realized how many families in Polk County needed assistance until now. I've enjoyed meeting these families and helping them to get back on their feet. I've also enjoyed working with the wonderful staff at Outreach to do so."
After high school graduation, Korzelius would like to attend either Georgetown University or Berkeley and major in macroeconomics. 

Empty Bowls Update ...

Thank you Parsec Financial .....

Parsec Financial recently awarded Outreach a Parsec Prize for 2018. Outreach will receive $15,000 to serve Polk County children through our Feed-a-Kid program.
The Feed-a-Kid program provides an average of 230 Polk County students with a weekend bag of food each week during the school year. This grant will help provide more than 3,300 food backpacks for food insecure children in Polk County. The goal of the Feed-a-Kid program is to decrease food insecurity over the weekend when these children may not have adequate access to food.
We are grateful to Michael Baughman and his Parsec Financial team for awarding Outreach this generous grant!

Thank you Polk County Postal Workers

This year's Stamp Out Hunger food drive was a great success - 3,023 pounds of food were collected by Polk County Mail Carriers on May 12! 

2,420 pounds of food were collected in Tryon; Columbus gathered 453 pounds and 150 pounds came in from Saluda.
​
Thank you to all Polk County residents who participated and left food at your mailbox and to our Polk County Post Offices and Mail Carriers for collecting the food and sponsoring this wonderful event - we are grateful!

Annual Volunteer Appreciation Lunch 

Outreach celebrated our wonderful, dedicated volunteers at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Lunch on Friday May 4. Organized by Volunteer Coordinator Barb Powell, everyone was treated to festive picnic themed meal followed by several rounds of Bingo. We missed all who weren't able to attend this year!

Volunteering is FUN - come join the team at Outreach!
Volunteering at Outreach is both fun and rewarding and we're looking for Volunteers to fill important jobs:

• Pantry volunteers​ assist clients and help them shop and stock pantry shelves with food and non-perishables.  Shift times especially needed are: Mondays, 9am - 12:30pm; 12:30 - 4:00pm; Tuesdays, 12:30 - 4:00pm; Wednesdays, 9am - 12:30pm; Thursdays, 12:30 - 4:00pm.
• Intake volunteers interview (potential) clients at Outreach. Shift times especially needed are: Mondays, 8:45am - 12:30pm & Wednesdays, 8:45am - 12:30pm.
• Fill-in volunteers are needed to assist, on short notice, with various jobs in the pantry, such as stocking shelves, feed-a-kid, and shopping assistance. 
• Volunteers​ are needed to chop wood at the monthly, 2nd Saturday firewood splitting.  This is a great opportunity for churches and youth groups to get involved at Outreach.

For more information, please complete & submit the Volunteer Sign-up Form or contact Volunteer Coordinator, Barb Powell - barb.powell@tboutreach.org or 828-894-2988.

Donate Now

Upcoming Events ​7/21: Make a Bowl for Empty Bowls, TACS​​ 8/4: School Supplies Distribution, PCMS 10/6: Empty Bowls Fundraiser, Parker-Binns Vineyard Monthly Wish List Food Focus: canned vegetables, spaghetti noodles & spaghetti sauce Non-Food Focus:  fans, school supplies Newsletter ​Annual Report

Did you know.... Outreach now has a texting service to communicate with our clients? This service will be used to send important Outreach news and updates on programs and special events. It's simple to register - text 21000, type Outreach in the message and press send.

​Check out our video about how Thermal Belt Outreach has changed the lives of many and touched the hearts of our community. ​

​​Thermal Belt Outreach Ministry
134 White Drive
P.O. Box 834
Columbus, NC 28722
828.894.2988

---