New renovations, Roger Staley plaque recognized at Our Daily Bread Christian Food Ministry

ROCKINGHAM — Community members gathered outside of Our Daily Bread Christian Food Ministry Thursday to celebrate new renovations at the facility and the dedication of a plaque commemorating the service of Roger Staley.

“Four years ago, we lost a great leader in our community,” said Gene McLaurin, chairman of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and president of Quality Oil and Gas Co. “[The Community Foundation of Richmond County and the Foundation For the Carolinas] stepped up and made a very generous grant to Our Daily Bread in honor and memory of Roger.”

Staley was a chairman of Richmond Community Foundation and longtime board member, chair of the FirstHealth Richmond Board of Advisors, and chair of FirstHealth Richmond Foundation Board and a longtime board member. After his passing in 2019, the Roger Staley Memorial Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship for a full-time student at Richmond Community College, was established in 2020.

Our Daily Bread board member G.R. Kindley summarized the history of the food ministry program since its inception in 2002 and the various improvements and upgrades over the year, including a $50,000 grant in 2019 that was used to renovate their facilities.

“We’ve had a tremendous amount of help along the way, with small donations and grants from the community,” Kindley said, adding that their back in full-operation following the pandemic.

President & CEO of the Foundation for the Carolinas Laura Smith was in attendance for the dedication. Rockingham Pastor Darrell Bowles began the event with an invocation. Former Executive Vice President for Foundation For the Carolinas Brian Collier shared a written statement for the occasion.

“In many ways, [Roger] was the best example of how relationships make a great life,” McLaurin read from Collier’s statement. “From the moment I first met Roger, I knew that he cared about his family, I knew that he cared about my family and me. And through his work with the Community Foundation, I saw firsthand that he cared about people in the community, often people that he didn’t know personally.”

After a few more words of kindness and celebration, Roger’s wife of 59 years, Sankie Staley, and their daughter, Angie, were presented with the plaque, affixed to the front of Our Daily Bread, for the first time.

“I just want to thank everybody that knew Roger for loving him and being there,” Sankie said, thanking the Cole Foundation, Community Foundation of Richmond County and the Foundation For the Carolinas. “Roger wouldn’t have any problem standing here and talking. Most of the time he got started and couldn’t stop.”

Frank Jenkins, chair of the Community Foundation, recalled Roger’s final attendance at a board meeting before his passing that uplifted everyone’s spirits.

“Roger was always spot-on,” Jenkins said. “Everybody had said ‘Well, Rogers just not feeling well,’ and there was a sadness in the boardroom that night, and then here comes Roger and it just lifted all of us up.”

Our Daily Bread Director Mari Bennett said new renovations to the facility include redone floors, new painting, removal of a few walls to free up space, as well as shelves added courtesy of a grant from Food Lion.