Angels & Sparrows, a Huntersville nonprofit addressing the issue of food insecurity in North Mecklenburg County, has announced its partnership with Project Outpour, a Charlotte based nonprofit that operates a mobile shower unit.  Project Outpour will offer their mobile shower service at Angels & Sparrows every Monday beginning March 8, 2021.  

"Many families are struggling to meet basic needs and paying for rent will often trump paying the water or electric bill if that's what it takes to stay in their home," explained Jessika Tucker, Executive Director at Angels & Sparrows, "Project Outpour's mobile showers will benefit not only homeless individuals, but these near-homeless families as well.  We're not just taking hunger off the table, we're restoring dignity to our most vulnerable guests."

Angels & Sparrows experienced a 73% increase in the number of meals provided through their kitchen and pantry in 2020.  The increase began immediately with the announcement of North Carolina's Stay at Home Order in March, 2020.  "Our guests work in the job sectors most affected by the pandemic," said Tucker, "Despite the relaxing of restrictions that has allowed businesses to increase their hours, many of our guests have not returned to work, or if they have returned, they are working reduced hours."

"We appreciate Angels & Sparrows' invitation to bring our mobile showers to Huntersville.  Not all people moving through homelessness live in the city-center, but often choose more secluded, less visible places to stay, including Huntersville and other surrounding areas.  We are grateful to be able to meet and serve these individuals where they are," said Laura Gorecki, Project Outpour's Executive Director.  Project Outpour's mobile shower unit will be at Angels & Sparrows every Monday between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.  No appointments are necessary and each individual will receive the hygiene items necessary, as well as the opportunity to receive clothing from Lydia's Loft.  

Angels & Sparrows provides a Community Table for guests to enjoy a free, nutritious meal five days a week without requiring proof of need.  Since 2007, meals have been served cafe style allowing guests and volunteers to mingle and enjoy life together through stories, laughs, sometimes tears, and often a hug.  The kitchen is fully supported through gifts from area residents, businesses, and grocery partners.  Though the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the method by which meals are provided, the spirit of community and cohesiveness despite race or creed persists and and has allowed the organization to meet the incredible spike in need.  Angels & Sparrows provided 213,627 meals in 2020, a 73% increase from 2019.   

Project Outpour provides shower access to persons moving through homelessness, alleviating suffering and promoting holistic health and dignity.  To learn more, visit www.projectoutpour.org.

​As predicted, January brought a huge number of patients experiencing complications from COVID-19 to Novant Huntersville. The increase, according to a hospital spokeswoman, was the result of people not heeding warnings to avoid celebrating the holidays with people who live outside their household. Doctors, nurses, and staff at the hospital in Huntersville were so inundated, they had no time to take a break!

Our contact (and Angels & Sparrows volunteer) Jen Huskey, from Novant Huntersville's Community Engagement team, reached out to see if we could help feed their staff as they provided critical care to patients during the COVID-19 spike. Of course, we said yes! Angels & Sparrows proudly provided more than 1,000 bag lunches to feed the healthcare heroes at Novant Huntersville!

You can help the team at Novant Huntersville by wearing a mask around those who don't live in your home, washing your hands frequently, and maintaining a distance from others of 6 feet or more when you're outside of your home!

​Each week, we provide boxes of non-perishable groceries to families in need of additional assistance. Unfortunately, we have not always been able to provide a box of cereal to families with children.

Because the number of families we are serving has increased dramatically, we are now distributing close to fifty boxes of cereal each week! Boxed cereal is one of the most costly items on our Immediate Needs List. As such, it is not an item we can afford to replace when our supply runs out!

In fact, last month, we did run out! We contacted Jason Colvin, from Jason Colvin State Farm, to see if he could help replenish our supply. And, he's helping in a BIG way! Jason is holding a cereal drive from now until National Cereal Day on March 5!

To date, 831 boxes have been collected toward our goal of 1,000 boxes! You can help by picking up a box of cereal the next time you visit the grocery store. Boxes can be delivered to Jason's office, located at 9525 Birkdale Crossing, Huntersville, Suite 204, or delivered to Angels & Sparrows weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Thank you for helping us take hunger off the breakfast table!

Each week, our volunteers pickup hundreds of pounds of food from our grocers in the community including The Fresh Market in Cornelius, Huntersville Target, Huntersville Publix, and Trader Joe's in North Charlotte.  

Food items are brought to the soup kitchen, weighed-in, and sorted.  Sorted items, such as fresh produce, are used for the meals we prepare each weekday.  Other items, such as canned goods and dairy products, are shared with our neighbors in need.  

Together, these grocers provided 130,875 pounds of food equating to 109,063 meals in 2020!  We are grateful for their ongoing support of Angels & Sparrows' mission and encourage you to thank them the next time you shop in their stores.  

​Media Contact:                                                                                   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jessika Tucker
Executive Director
Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen
jessika@angelsandsparrows.org
(704) 650-7232
 
Cindy Deutsch
Director of Development
Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen
cindy@angelsandsparrows.org
(847) 340-5102

ANGELS & SPARROWS ANNOUNCES ANNUAL IMPACT
The Economy Hasn’t Recovered for Our Neighbors in Need​

Huntersville, NC, January 5, 2021 - The Economy hasn’t recovered for our neighbors in need.  In 2020, Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen provided a record-breaking 213,627 meals from their kitchen and pantry in Huntersville, NC.  This is a 73% increase over meals provided in 2019 as the number of families and scale of their need increased dramatically. 
 
“The families we serve have been hit the hardest by this pandemic and recovery for those already in poverty is a lot slower than for those in the middle-to-upper income levels” said Jessika Tucker, Executive Director of Angels & Sparrows.  “The crisis has clarified exactly how exposed a large portion of our community can actually be while others are affected in entirely different ways.”
 
Angels & Sparrows met the increased need by providing daily meals and fresh groceries via a drive-through service.  In addition, they provided home delivery of meals and groceries to seniors and families who had lost access to transportation due to the pandemic.  They also provided grocery boxes of non-perishable food items to families in need, Holiday Meal boxes to ensure families were able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, and provided other emergency assistance on a case-by-case basis. 
 
“Many families are trying to live off of part-time jobs or are still without a job due to the COVID-19 crisis.  Families are having to make the decision between which essentials are most critical such as rent, versus utility bills or food, and many were finding themselves on the brink of homelessness without options.” 
 
The organization’s ability to scale the number of meals needed on a daily basis and provide additional services with little notice belies the size of their small 2,000 square foot building.  "It is the reflection of a community that cares as evidenced by the outpouring of support received from donors and volunteers who provided extraordinary assistance with the increased effort to nourish the growing need in the North Mecklenburg community", said Tucker. 
 
“While many nonprofit organizations shut down, Angels & Sparrows not only stayed open, we rallied and continually met the growing need among our neighbors.  We could not have done this without the incredible response we received from the community.  We exist because of the generosity of our donors and volunteers.  We were able to make an unimaginable impact because of them,” said Tucker.  To learn more about Angels & Sparrows Soup Kitchen, visit www.Angelsandsparrows.org
 
About Angels & Sparrows
Angels & Sparrows provides a community table for guests to enjoy a free, nutritious meal five days a week without requiring proof of need.  Since 2007, meals have been served café style allowing guests and volunteers to mingle and enjoy life together through stories, laughs, sometimes tears, and often a hug.  The kitchen is fully supported through gifts from area residents, businesses, and grocery partners.  Though the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the method by which meals are provided, the spirit of community and cohesiveness despite race or creed persists and has allowed the organization to meet the incredible spike in need.  Angels & Sparrows provided 213,627 meals in 2020, a 73% increase from 2019.  For more information, visit www.angelsandsparrows.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
Contact:
Cindy Deutsch
Director of Development, Angels & Sparrows
704-918-0122
cindy@angelsandsparrows.org
 
Jean Leier
Director of Corporate Affairs, I-77 Mobility Partners
980.337.2394
jleier@i77partners.com
​

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About Angels & Sparrows
Angels & Sparrows provides a community table for guests to enjoy a free, nutritious meal five days a week without requiring proof of need.  Since 2007, meals have been served café style allowing guests and volunteers to mingle and enjoy life together through stories, laughs, sometimes tears, and often a hug.  The kitchen is fully supported through gifts from area residents, businesses, and grocery partners and receives no government funding.  Though the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the method by which meals are provided, the spirit of community and cohesiveness despite race or creed persists and has allowed the organization to meet the incredible spike in need. 

About White Summit Capital
WSC is a long-term investor and asset manager specialized in the infrastructure and energy sectors, with over €1.4 billion of managed infrastructure investments to date. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, WSC has offices in Madrid, London, and Mexico City with a total of 18 operational and transactional professionals. 
​
About I-77 Mobility Partners
I-77 Mobility Partners LLC is financing, developing, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining the 26-mile I-77 Express corridor as part of the first-ever public-private partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

A lot has changed at Angels and Sparrows since the COVID-19 crisis hit our community and Governor Cooper announced the Stay at Home order effective March 30th.  
 
Angels and Sparrows immediately experienced a surge in the number of guests in need.  Some who only needed our services occasionally, suddenly needed us daily.  Initially, families arrived with wary expressions on their faces while children screamed gleefully in their cars at the prospect of staying home from school.  This quickly changed to long lines of cars with parents anxiously awaiting their meals and children quietly observing the discussions between their parents and our staff regarding needs which ranged from groceries, to gas money, and more recently the fear of not being able to catch-up paying for rent - and the potential for eviction.  New families experiencing loss of hours at work, furlough, or unemployment for the first time, joined those who already depended on us to make ends meet.      
 
Our process changed too.  We were forced to modify how we serve our guests from café style to a drive-up format to accommodate the need for social distancing and the tremendous increase in numbers being served.  We began delivering meals and groceries to our at-risk, homebound seniors.  We noticed more families carpooling, households consolidating to help reserve the little funds left, and the need for home delivery began to include not only homebound seniors, but also families who lost access to transportation due to the inability to pay for gas or bus fare.    
 
However, here’s what did not change.  YOU, the community stepped up as you always have when you heard our resources had been depleted by the surge in need and our necessity to pivot and provide more food than ever.  Your families came early in the morning or joined the long lines of those receiving meals to drop off groceries – many of which were used the very day you dropped them off.  Still more of you donated online, allowing us to fill the gaps among the food received and what we still needed.  
 
And, here’s something else that did not change – the love and care with which we serve our guests.  A command center of volunteers who could no longer serve in person due to health risks began calling guests at home to check on them.  New volunteers joined our team to help us sort food, put together boxes of groceries, or hand out meals – sometimes in the blistering heat and lately in the pouring rain. YOU, the community, are the heroes who enable us to show our neighbors in need that we not only care, but we care deeply.  
 
Your donations enabled us to handle a 91% surge in need compared to last year and since the beginning of the crisis through June, we were able to provide the following:
 

• Over 47,000 meals through our emergency pantry
• Over 13,000 meals from our kitchen 

 
And, we keep progressing.  You see, the calls we made that first week didn’t stop.  They have continued now each week for 15 weeks in a row.  This has allowed us to remain in constant contact with our guests and hear how they are being impacted by this crisis, and to take the necessary steps to provide further assistance.  We are inculcating the new families into our family and showing them how this community cares.  Calls that were initially brief check-ins have evolved into lengthy discussions celebrating triumphs, such as when a new baby is born, or providing comfort when a guest shares with us that they’ve lost a family member to COVID-19.  
 
Our guests have expressed their gratitude in a myriad of ways, from sending thank you cards, letters, and artwork created by their children to sharing homemade cakes and pies they’ve baked for our volunteers.  Each note or letter we receive expresses gratitude for the impact our work has made on their family.  
 
So, to the community, we say THANK YOU!  You are the heroes on the front lines doing anything you can for those whose lives have been devastated by this unprecedented crisis.  Our guests feel your embrace at a time when they need it the most.  
 
Our work is not done. The needs have not diminished and the number of families who need meals and groceries continues to grow.  Even though the Stay at Home order has been relaxed, many of our guests who work in the accommodations and food services industry continue to experience few hours, if they have been able to find work at all.  They are still struggling to provide for their families.  
 
Here is what you can do to continue to cushion the blow these families are experiencing:  
 

• Hold a food drive in your office or neighborhood.  Contact Cindy@angelsandsparrows.org for the current immediate needs list or visit our website at www.angelsandsparrows.org.
• Make a monetary donation.  We were forced to cancel our annual fundraising dinner scheduled for May 8th.  We are unsure if we will be able to hold our Thanksgiving 5k, which is our only other fundraiser.  We depend on these events to fund our operations.  
• You can double your impact by checking to see if your company offers a matching contribution for your charitable gift. 
• We need bakers!  Each weekday, our guests receive a homemade dessert provided by volunteers who love to bake.  We suggest making cookies or brownies.  Please avoid anything with frosting.  Desserts are placed in Ziploc bags for distribution.  We need 250 desserts each weekday, so any amount you can donate will help.

You remain a vital part of our mission and we appreciate your continued support in nourishing our neighbors with dignity.  Without your help, a crisis such as this will continue to have cascading consequences for the families we serve.  Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram) to receive operational information and updates to our immediate needs list.  Also, please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.  
 
With gratitude,
 
Jessika Tucker
Executive Director
Angels and Sparrows
 
 

​At Angels and Sparrows, we strive to be good stewards of the resources given to us and the most precious of those includes YOU, the community.  You consistently support us with your time and donations and most recently, this has been amidst the COVID-19 crisis. We appreciate the outpouring of support and donations you have provided to us and it has been absolutely needed!
 
We recognize and appreciate these donations come at a cost to your family in order to support other families in need, so we want to keep you informed about our continued operations in light of the Stay at Home Order issued by Mecklenburg County yesterday.  As our guests will attest, we are considered an Essential Business and, therefore, are permitted to continue operations.  In fact, our services will be needed now more than ever.  This means travel to and from our establishment to drop-off donations is permitted as well.
 
There were significant changes to our culture and operations last week as we adapted to the need for social distancing and we learned a lot through this process.  One thing we noticed is a tremendous increase in the need for our services.  In fact, we experienced a 42% increase in the number of meals provided in just one week!  Our peak day was an 86% increase.  Many guests who only visit occasionally, showed up each day seeking help.  Several conveyed they were scrambling to provide for their families while grappling with fewer hours at work or facing complete layoffs. 
 
Meanwhile, donations from our grocery partners diminished.  In response, we quickly emptied many of our pantry items typically reserved for meal preparation to alleviate some of the stress our guests were experiencing.  Your generous donations were also used immediately as emergency grocery items for our guests or in our kitchen to meet the increased demand for meals.    
 
While this crisis continues to be distressing for everyone, we expect our community will continue to experience the after-effects of COVID-19 for a long time and have re-strategized how we will continue providing meals with limited resources and increased demand.
 
Angels and Sparrows intends to remain the valuable resource we have always been in the community.  We recognize we will simply have to show we care by using other methods.  A new approach we have already implemented is making phone calls to our guests to check on their wellbeing and ascertain special needs. This has been well received and many have acknowledged feeling lonely, isolated, and missing the spirit of community usually experienced together at Angels and Sparrows.  We won’t allow our culture to diminish during this crisis and we expect programs and partnerships will emerge and evolve as we continue to address the needs of our community. 
 
Please continue to bring your donations to the kitchen.  Hours for food donation drop-off next week will be Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30.  We ask that you please honor these hours so we can move guest vehicles in and out of the parking lot safely during service hours.  Monetary donations are greatly appreciated because they allow us to fill in the gaps in needs versus supplies.  We will keep our website and social media updated as our needs change with the increased demand. 
 
You remain a vital part of our mission and we appreciate your continued support of Angels and Sparrows.  Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.
 
Thank you,
 
Jessika Tucker
Executive Director
Angels and Sparrows Soup Kitchen