HAMLET — Team Hamlet joined forces with Pastors Linda and Mordecai Ross of Faith Assembly Church, Dobbins Heights Mayor Antonio Blue, Michelle Parrish of United Way of Richmond County, and Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina to distribute turkeys and other food items to the local community ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday at the Dobbins Heights Community Center.
“This is a great opportunity for all of us to help our neighbors,” stated Pastor Linda Ross. “No one should have to go without, especially during the holidays. We appreciate Enviva and all of our partners who stepped up to make this event successful once again this year. I saw a lot of smiling faces today as they expressed their thanks. That’s what this event is all about.”
Prior to today’s event, volunteers from the Dobbins Heights community spent several hours packing bags with assorted food items to accompany the turkeys.
“When I walked into the main hall at the community center a few hours before our start time this morning,” stated Enviva’s Chris Brown, “I was amazed to see all of the bags already packed and ready to go. That was a lot of work. It was an impressive sight. I would like to express a big thank you to all of our partners – Food Bank, United Way, the town of Dobbins Heights, and especially Pastors Linda and Mordecai Ross. They are the heart and soul of this effort from start to finish.”
The distribution effort also added a new element this year. Representatives from Richmond County Partnership for Children were on hand to provide a children’s book, The Turkey Train, and juice boxes to all citizens with children in their household.
This marked the fifth year that Enviva has sponsored this distribution. The distribution served over 200 local families.
“We are happy to host this event each year,” stated Dobbins Heights Mayor Antonio Blue. “Bringing the community together to help each other is always a good thing.”