As the air crisps and Boone moves into autumn, the Hunger and Health Coalition is usually gearing up for our largest fundraisers of the year. In October, our Masquerade Ball and booth at the Valle Country Fair raise more than $60,000, funding we use to keep our shelves stocked with food all through the colder seasons. Our client visits increase as seasonal summer employment dips, and we rely on this money to make sure we have enough for everyone who will come to us for help.
COVID-19 promises to make this winter our busiest yet. Since March, we have taken on more than 600 new clients and that number continues to grow. Simultaneously, we are making up for a shortfall of more than $100,000 from cancelled fundraisers over the last few months. We have not stopped providing for our community through the pandemic, but need the support of the community more than ever at this time.
These shifts have forced us to be more creative than ever this year. In October, we are excited to announce two new events for the community that will help fill the financial void COVID-19 has created.
The first is the HHC Fall Blast— a clay shooting competition at the Chetola Sporting Reserve at the Blue Ridge Mountain Club on October 10th and 11th. If you and your friends think you’re the best shots around, this is your chance to prove it! We’ll have fabulous prize packs and all guns and ammunition will be provided so you can just show up with your team and enjoy! Team registration is $300 ($75 per person). Register your team to compete for the glory of first place! If you don’t have 4 team members and want to enter, you can email us at programshhc@gmail.com and we’ll help pair you up.
The second opportunity is an idea we are extremely excited to bring back: Drive-In Movies! On October 23rd and 30th at 7 pm, we will be screening two Halloween classics, Beetlejuice (23rd) and Hocus Pocus (30th). Come out with your friends to Valle Crucis and watch these favorites for only $20 per car for a fun and social-distancing friendly night and help us bring this awesome community tradition back to life!
For everyone who attended our Masquerade Ball last year, we hope you’ll join us again and help support our mission by volunteering, donating, or helping to share our mission with your friends and family. Over 10% of Watauga County receives support from us each year, and our sourcing connections allow us to purchase $5 worth of food for every $1 we raise. We are a crucial piece of this community’s food system, turning food that would be landfilled into hardy meals and balanced diets for the most vulnerable among us, and on behalf of all those we help, we hope you’ll join us this October to keep our local safety net strong.
Thank you again. For more information on our programs and ways to get involved, visit our website at hungerandhealthcoalition.com or call us at 828-262-1628.
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