SPRUCE PINE — Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Food Ministry has a new home at 14192 Highway 226 South in Spruce Pine.
The ministry moved into its new location this past week. The building is located just past Walmart and Burger King.
Ministry co-director Allen Hoilman said the new location gives the ministry more space and better visibility to the public.
The ministry previously operated out of a small building on the campus of Freedom Baptist Church in Spruce Pine.
“You have to take into consideration that we were working out of two rooms,” Hoilman said. “That’s two rooms to do all the boxing, unpacking and getting ready to get food out.”
The ministry’s new location is more open and Hoilman repainted the interior and built shelves for food and personal care products.
“It’s going to help tremendously,” Hoilman said about the move. “It’s an easy location for people to find. It’s already so much different and it’s amazing.”
The move comes at an already busy time for the ministry, which launched its first mobile food pantry this past month.
So far in 2020, Neighbors Feeding Neighbors has served 6,021 families with more than 232,000 pounds of food. The ministry served 3,855 families with approximately 192,000 pounds of food throughout the entirety of 2019.
Hoilman said COVID-19 has increased demand for the ministry’s services.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Hoilman said. “We’re just trying to make a difference in our communities. It’s needed.”
Neighbors Feeding Neighbors is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 828-592-4089.