What's New At Outreach

35 Years of Outreach

​2026 marks Outreach's 35th Birthday!
​We are excited to celebrate throughout the year with you!
​
Click here for the full history of Outreach.

2025 Holiday Program Wrap-Up

Our Holiday Program has come to a close, and we are deeply grateful to the businesses, churches, organizations and community members who made this season possible.

With your support, we served a record 817 individuals in Polk County — including 637 children (ages 0–18) and 180 senior citizens (65+), each receiving gifts and gift cards.
~ Click Here to view our full list of participating businesses, churches, and community partners this holiday season ~
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".
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.
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 to ​The Free Clinics of Polk County,
for their continued support and meaningful partnership with Outreach.

Your ongoing commitment plays an important role in strengthening services for Polk County and ensuring our community has access to the care and resources they need.
Thank You, Elm and Owl,
for hosting their first annual ornament fundraiser in support of Outreach. This year, a beautifully crafted ornament was created and sold, with all proceeds benefiting Outreach.
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, Polk County High School Indoor Track Team,
​for hosting the annual Reindeer Games in support of Outreach.

This community track event invites participants to give back through food donations as an entry fee, with all monetary and food donations benefiting Outreach.
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, Foothills Movement,
​for choosing Outreach as the recipient of funds raised through your Pilates class. Proceeds from the class were donated to Outreach — and Foothills Movement generously matched that amount, doubling the impact of their support.
​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.
Hours of Operation:

Monday & Thursday:
9AM–12PM & 1PM–6PM

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

Friday–Sunday:
Closed
Upcoming Events:

01/19:
Outreach Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

03/09–03/12:
Spring Volunteer Training

04/20–04/23:
Volunteer Appreciation Week

05/25:
​Outreach Closed for Memorial Day

06/06:
Game of Throws @ Wolfman Woods (10AM-4PM)

​07/01:
First Day for School Supplies Enrollment

07/06:
Outreach Closed for Independence Day

07/31:
Final Day for School Supplies Enrollment

08/03–08/06:
School Supplies Distribution

08/10–08/13:
School Supplies Distribution

09/07:
Outreach Closed for Labor Day 

09/14–09/17:
Fall Volunteer Training

10/01:
First day of Holiday Program Enrollment

10/09:
Empty Bowls Fundraiser @ Parker-Binns Vineyard (4PM-7PM)

10/10:
Polk County Toy Run

10/31:
Final Day for Holiday Program Enrollment

11/02:
First Day of Thanksgiving Meal Box Distribution 

11/14:
Run For Outreach @ Tryon International (8AM)

11/25:
Last Day of Thanksgiving Meal Box Distribution

11/26:
Outreach Closed for Thanksgiving

12/01:
First day of Christmas Meal Box Distribution

Friday 12/04 & 12/11:
Holiday Program Gift Distribution Days

12/17:
Last Day of Christmas Meal Box Distribution

12/21—12/28:
Outreach Closed for the week of Christmas. Happy Holidays!

12/31:
Outreach Closed for New Years Eve.
Our Impact & Updates:
Outreach 2024 Annual Report
File Size: 1875 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Click here to sign-up and receive our monthly newsletter email.
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.
Quotes From Our Clients
"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
"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
Phone
828.894.2988​

​Address
134 White Drive
P.O. Box 834
​Columbus, NC 28722
Proudly powered by Weebly