What's Happening Now at Outreach 
Empty Bowls Fundraiser Countdown ....
Empty Bowls Fundraiser tickets 4th Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser tickets are now available for purchase!  Tickets are $25 each and all proceeds benefit Outreach's Food Pantry. Click the Empty Bowls Tickets button above now to buy tickets online.
To learn more about Empty Bowls and this year's event, visit our Empty Bowls web page.
Fun at Outreach's School Supplies Distribution
Over 300 Polk County students received new backpacks and school supplies on Saturday to help get their school year started off right. In addition to school supplies, over 25 local service organizations were assembled to share information and assistance, including free haircuts!
​If you weren't able to make it last weekend, we still have plenty of school supplies & backpacks available for all grades - stop by Outreach (134 White Drive, Columbus NC) during our regular business hours and pick some up!
Volunteers Needed!
We need your help! Volunteers are needed to staff morning (9:00 - 11:30 AM) Client Intake shifts each week. Intake volunteers interview potential and current Outreach clients as they come in for services. Intake is a great way to connect with Outreach clients and can be very rewarding.

For more information, please complete and submit the Volunteer Sign-up form or contact Volunteer Coordinator Barb Powell at barb.powell@tboutreach.org or
​828-894-2988.
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. 
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!
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!
Hours of Operation
Monday - Thursday:
9:00-11:30AM
12:30-3:30PM
Friday:
9:00 AM-12:00PM
Saturday & Sunday:
Closed
​
Upcoming Events
  • ​8/26: Gift In Kind Recognition Event, Good Shepherd Episcopal Church
  • September: Hunger Action Month!
  • 9/5: GRO Mobile Farmer's Market at Outreach (11AM-1PM)
  • 9/8: Suicide Walk, Remembrance & Health Fair (5:30-8PM), Harmon Field
  • 9/17: MANNA Express Vegetable Distribution, Outreach Food Pantry
  • 9/26: Wood Splitting at Outreach 
  • 10/6: Empty Bowls Fundraiser (4-7PM), Parker-Binns Vineyard
  • 11/17: Tryon Half Marathon (8AM), Harmon Field
Monthly Wish List
  • Food Focus: peanut butter, jelly & milk
  • Non-Food Focus:  deodorant, kleenex

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