What's New At Outreach
21-Meals Wrap-Up

​Outreach successfully provided 490 households with 21-Meals during the SNAP suspension caused by the government shutdown.

Click here for more details on our 21-Meals Program.

490

Households

106

First-Time Households

1389

Individuals
Run for Outreach Wrap-Up

​This year's event welcomed 73 total participants across both races:
  • Fall for the Foothills 5K: 21 runners
  • Tryon Half Marathon: 52 runners

​Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Fall for the Foothills 5k and Tryon Half Marathon! This year we would like to acknowledge these four individuals for placing first in their respective races for the Male and Female divisions.

Fall for the Foothills 5K
  • Fastest Male: Lukas Kennedy (age 10) — 29:53
    Lukas was also the youngest participant at this year’s Run for Outreach
  • Fastest Female: Alyssa Marks (age 27) — 33:24
    ​
Tryon Half Marathon
  • Fastest Male: Michael Koballa (age 38) — 1:23:28
  • Fastest Female: Emily Headley (age 28) — 1:45:01​
    ​
~Click Here To Learn More About Run For Outreach or See Final Race Results~
2025 Holiday Program
Donation Deadlines

To support both of our Holiday Program distribution dates — Friday, December 1st and Friday, December 12th — we have asked that all toy and gift card donations be brought in by December 1st.


An Additional Opportunity to Give

For community members who are just getting involved with our Holiday Program, we have created a second giving opportunity with a deadline of December 10th. These items will be used specifically for the December 12th distribution.
Thank you Dogwood Health Trust -
With the paving of the 2nd half of Hope Valley Lane completed, our (nearly) 4 year Infrastructure Project is finally concluding! Thanks to Dogwood Health Trust's $490,000 investment in Outreach and Polk County, we were able to clear and grade the land, install the road, culverts and creek crossing and lay sewer and water lines ("Infrastructure") to build 17 additional homes in Horse Creek Village. The foundation of this neighborhood is a testament of Dogwood's generosity and demonstration of "compassion with courage".
"I want to thank Outreach for helping my family out. Because if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have food for my six year old son. I just wanted to thank y'all from the bottom of my heart."                            ~ Outreach client
Gratitude for Grants & Foundation Support
Outreach expresses heartfelt appreciation to the following foundations for their support and investment in Outreach and Polk County this year. We are incredibly grateful for the following grant awards - 
The Polk County Community Foundation awarded Outreach an Unrestricted Fund Grant and a Lois Miner Barrick Fund grant totaling $72,000! This funding will be used to help pay for much needed repairs and improvements to our Outreach office building - paint the exterior of our building, construct a porch to run across the front of our building, improve security and new interior and exterior doors. We look forward to the completion of this project!
Additionally, The Polk County Community Foundation generously supports Outreach and Polk County neighbors in need annually through -
  • JM Funds $25,000 annually that helps cover utility and rent assistance needs
  • Seasonal Assistance Grant contributes $3,000 towards Outreach Holiday programs
Dogwood Health Trust awarded Outreach a "Stronger Organizations General Operating Support Grant" during their 2025 - 2026 Unrestricted Grants cycle!  This grant is funded over a 2-year period and was requested in preparation, in part, to cover the anticipated increase in client assistance expense due to growing number of clients, increased cost of food, electricity and rent.
Gateway Wellness Foundation awarded Outreach a grant in the amount of $25,000 in support of our EATS (Edible. Available. Timesaving.) and Backpack Snacks Program in 2025!
  • EATS is a meal kit complete with 4-5 recipes and all ingredients needed to make the meals. The baseline is food we receive from the Federal Government's TEFAP program and Outreach supplements with all the additional ingredients, including spices needed to make the recipe!
  • Backpack Snacks is nutritious, "kid-approved" food that goes home with Polk County students every Friday to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend. Outreach partners with Polk County Schools, teachers and counselors to identify students who would best benefit from this program.
Have you heard about our Life Works Program?
Are you ready to make positive changes and improve your life? Outreach is now accepting applications to Life Works, our self-sufficient program that focuses on helping you achieve goals related to:
  • employment
  • education
  • money management
  • transportation
  • childcare
  • housing
  • building life skills

To learn more, contact Life Works coach, Michelle Reedy ([email protected] or828-894-2988) or click to visit the Life Works section on our website.
"When things get tight (as they always do being a single mother of two), it's great to have this wonderful, dependable place to come to, to help keep our heads above water! Thank you!"      ~ Outreach client
It Takes a Village

​At Outreach, we have over 7000 visits each year from Polk County neighbors requesting assistance with food, financial assistance (rent & mortgage, utilities, medical and dental) and special programs for children (Backpack Snacks, School Supplies and Holiday) and veterans.  Without the help of our generous community, we could not provide this level of assistance to those in need. We're all in this together and at Outreach, we're grateful for all you do to help our community. Thank you!
Thank You, ​Champions for Wildlife,
for donating 500 Sunshine Smile Kit Boxes for our Holiday Program. These creative, nature-inspired kits will brighten the holidays for children throughout Polk County.
Thank You, Thermal Hugs,
​​for donating more than 600 pounds of food that supported Outreach's 21-Meals response to the SNAP suspension caused by the government shutdown. Your contribution helped ensure families continued to receive weekly meals during that critical time.
Champions for Wildlife 
​donated 176 Summer Smile Kits
​​Each kit included educational arts and crafts activities designed to teach children from pre-k to 5th grade about birds, adding a fun and interactive element to our school supplies program.
Thank you, Polk County High School Interact Club,
for donating 582 pounds of food collected during your annual food drive. Your efforts make a meaningful impact and help support families across Polk County.
Thank You, Jill Munro,
for donating laundry detergent each month and for being a dedicated volunteer in our Food Pantry. Your steady commitment makes a meaningful difference for the families we serve, and we are grateful to have you as part of our Outreach community.
Thank You, Lake Adger Community Connections,
​for donating over 600 pounds of food and a generous monetary contribution collected during your community food drive. Your support strengthened Outreach's 21-Meals response during the SNAP suspension and helped us prepare for our holiday food meal distribution.
​Thank you, Tryon United Methodist Men
​For your generous support of our Holiday, Backpack Snacks and School Supplies Programs!
​Thank You, Polk County Appearance Commission,
for awarding Outreach a $1,500 grant to plant shrubs and bushes in Horse Creek Village. These plants are going to help beautify our developing neighborhood while creating a sense of home.

​A special thank-you to Stokes & Company, CPAs — whose team can be seen in the photo above — for choosing Outreach for your volunteer day and planting the shrubs and bushes funded through this grant. Your hands-on support helped bring this project to life.
​Thank You, Tryon Elementary School,
​for donating over 600 pounds collected during your annual schoolwide food drive. Your efforts will bring meaningful support to families across Polk County as we move into the holiday season.
​Thank you, Community Action Opportunities
​For their support of our Life Works program. We are looking forward to expanding our partnership with CAO to include a home repair program in the 4th quarter of this year.
"The food pantry is a blessing to me and my four little girls. We have had our lives turned upside down and I am very thankful for everyone's help. I hope to eventually be in a place where I will be able to start helping others, like others have helped me. Thank you so much!"            ~ Outreach client
Outreach
134 White Drive
P.O. Box 834
Columbus, NC 28722
828.894.2988
Hours of Operation:

Monday & Thursday:
9AM–12PM & 1PM–6PM

Tuesday & Wednesday:
9AM–12PM & 1PM–4PM

Friday–Sunday:
Closed
Upcoming Events:

11/27:
Outreach Closed

12/1:
Holiday Food Box Distribution Begins

Friday 12/5 & 12/12:
Holiday Gift Distribution

12/18:
Holiday Food Box Distribution Ends

12/22–12/25:
​Outreach Closed

12/31 & 01/01: Outreach Closed
Our Impact & Updates:
Outreach 2024 Annual Report
File Size: 1875 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
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Did you know.... Outreach now has a texting service to communicate with our clients? This service is used to send important Outreach news and updates on programs and special events. It's simple to register - text 18883663895, type Outreach in the message and press send.
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