Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Catch the Cupboard on the go!

Please share with anyone who needs food! 


Our Common Cupboard food pantries will be on the move again this Friday (July 22), bringing fresh produce, bread, meat and nonperishables to Monroe.


Anyone who needs groceries can stop by from 10 a.m.-Noon at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 501 P E. Bazemore Dr. in Monroe.

The mobile pantries are in addition to weekly TEFAP walk-in food pantries: Mondays from 7-8 p.m. at Mill Grove United Methodist Church, 7311 Mill Grove Road, in Hemby Bridge and Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. at Union United Methodist Church, 6315 New Town Road, in Waxhaw. A raffle system is used to determine order of service, so guests are encouraged not to arrive before 6:45 p.m.

For more information, call 704-218-9060.


Thursday, July 14, 2016

Feeding kids in need




Thanks to a grant from our friends at Speedway Children's Charities, local children in need are getting nutritious and kid-friendly food this summer from our Common Cupboard food pantries.
All Cupboard locations – including our three mobile pantries – have been able to stock more food this summer because of the $10,000 SCC grant we received in late 2015.    

Throughout the year, the very generous SCC grant has been helping us keep food on the shelves for families in need. But in the summer when children aren't receiving meals at school, we face a larger demand for essential foods,” said Keith Adams, Executive Director of Common Heart. “We couldn't respond to this need without the kindness and generosity of NASCAR fans and the support of SCC.”  



Non-perishable food items like peanut butter, pasta, cereal, beans and canned fruits and vegetables are still needed to keep Cupboard shelves stocked through the summer. Donations can be dropped off at the Cupboard, 116 Business Park Drive, suite A, in Indian Trail, Monday to Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. or at Common Things Thrift Store, 321 Indian Trail Road North, Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.   

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

We love LOVE Week!


While we have folks from Elevation Church who volunteer with us year-round, it's an extra special treat when they bring along a few dozen friends to help. ;)

That's what happens each year during LOVE Week -- the church's annual week of service involving many local nonprofits. And we're so thankful for the extra help!


These kind folks have already been working in our Common Cupboard packing food boxes for families in need and at our Common Things Thrift Store sorting and tagging clothing for sale. We hear more shifts are planned at both locations (including a deep clean of all fridges-- YEAH!) and there's a team headed to Common Things today for outside landscaping around the concrete heart they created for us last year. (Look for it as you enter our parking lot!)

Thanks LOVE Week volunteers!


Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Announcing our next Bridges Out of Poverty workshop!

Want to make a difference in our community for those in poverty? Join us Aug. 13 to get the training and tools you'll need to get started! 
We're excited to announce our next Bridges Out of Poverty workshop is Saturday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at St. Francis United Methodist Church, 4200 McKee Road, in Charlotte.    


Bridges Out of Poverty is based on the book of the same name and helps prepare community members to address poverty more effectively. It is through the understanding of the issues of poverty that we can become more effective in removing barriers and helping families as they journey to self-sufficiency. This workshop is truly paradigm-shifting!
Bridges Out of Poverty provides concrete tools for a community to prevent, reduce, and alleviate poverty.  

Materials used and strategies developed are focused on:  
  • Moving individuals from poverty to self-sufficiency  
  • Reducing social costs related to crime, poor health, and welfare  
  • Strengthening educational attainment and job skills  
  • Improving on-the-job productivity  
  • Revitalizing neighborhoods  
  • Building a sustainable community where everyone can live well
Cost is $50 with book and workbook or $25 with workbook only. Repeat students may attend for $10. Register today.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Learn how to better serve people in poverty

Have you ever wondered how you can help people in poverty get out of "survival mode" and into stability?

Our Executive Director Keith Adams will be sharing a "Bridges Out of Poverty"-inspired message this Sunday (June 19) during the 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. services at St. Francis United Methodist Church, 4200 McKee Road in Charlotte. All are welcome!

Using Scripture from Deuteronomy and the Gospel of John, Keith will share the mental models of poverty, class & wealth and how they can affect our lives. He'll help us understand the barriers for people in poverty and how we can better serve them.

"We want to mobilize the faith community to understand poverty and equip people to serve," Keith said.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Our Daily Bread (literally!)

We're so very thankful to our friends at St. Matthew Catholic Church for highlighting our Common Cupboard food pantry in their current e-newsletter. Faithful St. Matthew volunteers pick-up and deliver excess bread and other bakery treats from local stores to help us feed our neighbors in need through their Our Daily Bread ministry.  

Check it out!

http://files.ctctcdn.com/0b300250101/f621a7f2-86b5-4101-9c37-b2fc55e18161.pdf


Thursday, June 2, 2016

Catch the Cupboard on the go!

Our Common Cupboard food pantries will be on the move this month, bringing fresh produce, bread, meat and nonperishables to Waxhaw and Marshville.

The “mobile” food pantries are part of the federal TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) and are open to any local resident who receives food stamps or has a household income less than 200% of poverty. (Visit http://TEFAP.CommonHeart.org to see if you qualify).


All sites will be open 10 a.m.-Noon.

-Monday, June 13: Amazing Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1416 N. W. Main St., Waxhaw
-Wednesday, June 15: Christ Bible Discipleship Worship Center, 1019 Unarco Road, Marshville
-Wednesday, June 29: Christ Bible Discipleship Worship Center, 1019 Unarco Road, Marshville

The mobile pantries are in addition to weekly TEFAP walk-in food pantries: Mondays from 7-8 p.m. at Mill Grove United Methodist Church, 7311 Mill Grove Road, in Hemby Bridge and Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. at Union United Methodist Church, 6315 New Town Road, in Waxhaw. A raffle system is used to determine order of service, so guests are encouraged not to arrive before 6:45 p.m.

For more information, call 704-218-9060.

Please share with anyone who needs food! 

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

And the winner is ...

... Your hungry neighbors!!!

Thanks to local business sponsors and some very generous golfers, our annual Common Cupboard Golf Classic raised more than $15,000 to feed local families in need! That's enough to provide one week's worth of meat, produce, bread and more to 600 families! WOW!!!  Now, that's a WIN!

Though some wet weather interrupted afternoon play, we had a great time and golfers get to come back and play another round later thanks to a rain check.

We want to give a special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the day a success.

See you next year on the course!


Thursday, May 5, 2016

308 tax returns!

Tax season is over and our amazing free tax service volunteers gathered yesterday to relax and celebrate.        
Many thanks to our tax service volunteers!

This year they e-filed 308 tax returns saving taxpayers an estimated $74,400 total in preparation fees! Our volunteers served local students, seniors and everyone in between! That's more returns than were filed last year and we hope to see that number grow next year as we help more people save money and frustration during what can be a very stressful time.

There were also 64 people in Union County who used the free online service MyFreeTaxes.com and we were happy to pass along that link as well for individuals who wanted to do their own taxes.

Want to join our tax team next year?  Email Susan Ochs at susan.ochs@commonheart.org.





Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Students showing kindness

Our Monday night food pantry coordinator, Rick Hepner, wrote this recently to staff at Porter Ridge High School complimenting his fellow pantry volunteers who are students there in the Health Occupations Students of America organization, or HOSA.  We love our student volunteers and are so glad to have them as part of this "small revolution of kindness!"  
Got a group who wants to volunteer? Inquire at  http://Volunteering.CommonHeart.org 



Just wanted to share something about a few of your students:  Jimmy Nguyen, Vinh Dao, Jonny Tran, Anna Pham, Michelle Salazar and Kathy Bui. 
I met them about a year ago where they volunteer at the food pantry that I chair. The food pantry is run out of Mill Grove United Methodist Church in partnership with Common Heart. Food distribution is held each Monday night as part of the TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program). We serve approximately 50 to 75 families weekly.                       

Last Monday night I saw something that I wanted to share. One of our neighbors in need, who is about 75 years old, was dropped off by a neighbor to get food. I was getting ready to leave for the night and noticed these students in our rear parking lot. I went over and they told me they were waiting with the elderly lady for her ride to arrive. They had been waiting with her for a while as it was about 8:30 p.m. They told me they did not want to leave her alone. 

It touched my heart that these young adults had so much compassion and kindness. It would have been easy to turn their heads and walk away, but they did not.    

These students give wholeheartedly in volunteering each Monday night and we've enjoyed seeing many other Porter Ridge HOSA students serve. Their values and work ethic are excellent.  Our program is a better place because of Jimmy Nguyen, Vinh Dao, Jonny Tran, Anna Pham, Michelle Salazar, and Kathy Bui!  Thanks Porter Ridge students! 




Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Funding a Small Revolution of Kindness

Funding a Small Revolution of Kindness

What is a $20 bill worth?
For many of us, it represents a good meal at our favorite restaurant. At Common Heart it is a family fed for a week! Just $20 per month provides a family of four a big box of nonperishibles, 8-10 pounds of meat, and 3-4 bags of fresh produce, bread and baked goods.
                                                                                                 

What can we do with $220?
So far this heating season, we kept 13 families warm by paying their heating bill. On average, it took just $220 per family to keep the heat on!

What will we do with $800?
Our Kindness Connects! Initiative will bring on two part-time employees to focus on developing resources for families in need. 
$800 will pay the salaries of these two people for a month.  Our “Lead Ally” will work directly with our neighbors in need to connect them with resources to bridge the gap and transform their lives. Our “CONNECTS Manager” will work directly with local churches to help them develop their ministries to transform our community through the Charitas Network. 
$800 will directly impact the lives of our most vulnerable seniors, single parents, people with disabilities, unemployed and those in crisis by connecting them with caring people who will love and serve them!

If you help us reach our goal of $30,000 …
  • 1,000 families will be fed for a week.
  • Our Charitas Network will be fully functional and mobilize 20 churches to serve an estimated 200 of our neighbors in need.


Volunteers Needed

Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are the life blood of Common Heart. We feel that this is the most important part of our mission to mobilize caring people to love and serve our neighbors in need.

Thrift Store
We are looking for volunteers to serve as part of our Common Things Thrift Store volunteer community. We simply cannot keep up with the generosity of our community and need willing workers to help us sort donations, price and hang clothing for sale. It’s not hard work, and our team makes it fun due to an amazing sense of camaraderie shared. We are looking for individuals and groups to regularly serve at the store. Suited for all sorts of volunteers from women’s groups, high school  community service, and the unemployed looking to build a resume.

Other needs
  • Grocery Rescue, pantry workers, and drivers.
  • Administrative, receptionist & data entry.
  • Mentors & Allies for families in need.
  • Fundraising and event team members.
  • Board and committee members.

Prayer Team Members needed!
We are starting an email prayer team. You will receive prayer requests weekly for the needs of those we serve, Common Heart and others.  Become one of the prayer team members, 25 new volunteers or 10 small groups that we need to Kickstart Kindness.  


Can we collect 20,000 pounds of food in April?

Can we collect 20,000 pounds of food in April?
Common Heart’s Common Cupboard food pantries are dependent on the generosity of our local community. It takes many, many people to gather the food we need to provide a week’s worth of groceries to an estimated 40,000 individuals in 2016.  Will you help us meet the need this spring and summer?
What do we need?

©       Canned veggies, beans, tomatoes, and pasta sauce
©       Canned tuna, chicken, & ham
©       Canned soup, stew & ravioli
©       Pasta, macaroni & cheese, rice, & potato sides
©       Cereal, oatmeal, & grits
©       Peanut butter & Jelly
©       And other non-perishable products
How to gather it?
©       Ask your neighbors & friends to help by donating food for you to bring to the pantry.
©       Ask your church, Sunday school class, youth group or men/women’s group to collect food.
©       Ask your co-workers, fellow students, and friends to help.
©       You can always head to the store and buy a can or even a week’s worth of food to donate.
©       Any way you gather it, we need it!
Where to bring it?
©       Common Cupboard
116 Business Park Dr, Suite A,
Indian Trail. 
Monday – Friday 10 – 5 & Saturday 10 – noon.
©       Common Things Thrift Store
321 Indian Trail Rd North, Indian Trail. Tuesday – Saturday 10 – 5.
Thank you for your support!! Help us reach our goal of 20,000 pounds in April!

 More info at http://FoodDrives.CommonHeart.org.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

3 more weeks!

Just 3 more weeks left in our FREE income tax service this year!

So far, we're pleased to report that our volunteers have prepared and e-filed taxes for 200 local residents gleaning a total of about $307,716 in refunds!  

We love being able to offer this service for FREE and have appointments available. It's not too late ... We're here to help through April 15.                          

Can we help you or someone you know? 
We're even happy to review paperwork (for FREE) if you're unsure if you need to file taxes or fit our annual household income requirement of $53,000 or less. To make an appointment, call 704-684-9007.

If you'd rather prepare and file them yourself, there's a free online service that can help. Visit: www.myfreetaxes.com. If your annual household income is under $62,000 you can use this free service!

Friday, March 18, 2016

Now open! Waxhaw pantry serves first families

The first night at our new walk-in food pantry at Union United Methodist Church in Waxhaw was awesome!!!

We had 12 volunteers ready to serve the nine families who came seeking food to feed their loved ones. We had a good mix of seniors and young families in need and they left with bags full of fresh produce, bread and sweets from the Cupboard as well as corn flakes, orange juice and canned green beans, corn, pork, pears, chicken and ham thanks to the USDA TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program). 


The pantry is a reality (after 6 years of dreaming) thanks to the generosity of Union UMC who welcomed us into their building and they're even providing some volunteers! 

Know someone in the Waxhaw area who needs food? The pantry will be open from 7-8 p.m. every Thursday at the church, 6315 New Town Rd. Guests are invited to begin arriving no earlier than 6:45 p.m. We use a raffle system to randomly select the order in which families select their free food.

For more details, visit CommonHeart.org or call 704-218-9060.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Food on the move!

Our Common Cupboard food pantries will be on the move this spring, bringing fresh produce, bread, meat and nonperishables to various locations in Union County. We're excited to be part of this distribution for the federal TEFAP program.    

Here's where you can catch us "on the go." 
All sites will open at 11 a.m.

-Wednesday, March 16: Friendship Baptist Church,  501 P E Bazemore Dr., Monroe

-Tuesday, April 12: Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, 416 W North Main St., Waxhaw

-Wednesday, April 27: Christ Bible Teaching Center, 1019 Unarco Rd., Marshville


 Please share with anyone you know who needs food! 



Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Happy tears at free tax service

It's been just over 4 weeks since our annual free income tax service opened and we're thrilled to report that our volunteers have prepared and e-filed taxes for 105 local residents so far gleaning a total of about $182,000 in refunds!  We estimate that so far, we've saved these friends a total of $26,000 in tax preparation fees!

One of our friends was brought to tears last week when we told her the refund she would be getting -- it was EXACTLY the amount of money she needed to pay off her debts!

We love being able to offer this service for FREE. Just last week, our volunteers helped a 75-year-old woman determine that she didn't need to file taxes because of her income. We were sad to learn that she paid a local tax preparation company $300 last year just for them to review her paperwork and tell her she didn't need to file.

Can we help you or someone you know? 
We're happy to review paperwork (for FREE) if you're unsure if you need to file taxes or fit our annual household income of $53,000 or less. To make an appointment, call 704-684-9007.

If you'd rather prepare and file them yourself, there's a free online service that can help. Visit: www.myfreetaxes.com. If your annual household income is under $62,000 you can use this free service!

Please spread the word ...

Friday, February 12, 2016

Early Bird gets the DISCOUNT!

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL JUST $125 PER GOLFER!

  • Discount good through April 2
Registration is now open for our 6th annual Common Cupboard Golf Classic! www.CommonCupboardGolfClassic.com
This year's May 2 event will feature a great day of golf at the most exclusive course in the Charlotte region: Firethorne Country Club.        
It will be a great day supporting a great cause because all the proceeds will help us feed our neighbors in need!   
The event will feature a Captain's Choice format and 5 contests, use of the driving range and putting greens. But that is just the start. 
-Every participant will receive an embroidered Common Cupboard Golf Classic Golf Shirt
-Fantastic Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place 
-More prizes for  Closest to the Pin, AND Longest Drive, AND Straightest Drive contests. 
-Prizes for first and second place in the Putting Contest run throughout the day with an end-of-day putt off. 
-Door prizes and a goody bags with some great prizes and discounts in each bag. 
-Silent Auction with more than a dozen golf courses offering foursomes,and much more!
-Chick-Fil-A box lunch, & huge buffet dinner provided by local restaurants 
-Use of putting greens and driving range, golf carts. 

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

An Invitation to Pastors & Church Leaders

Dear friend in ministry to our community,
Happy New Year to you!  Although it is much colder than I like outside, I feel like it’s springtime in my heart already. I'm excited for the new opportunities before us to serve and transform hearts in our community! 
I want to tell you about Common Heart’s “Kindness Connects! Initiative” and some ways we have of working and growing together for God’s Kingdom.  A key part of “Kindness Connects!” this year is our desire to mobilize the faith community to more fully and strategically fulfill the command to love our neighbor.  To this end we have begun this month to invite pastors and church leaders to be a part of the “Charitas Network.”  Here is a brochure on what we envision this network to be, but in a nutshell it is a way that we can increase the amount of service in the community provided by local churches through their already existing programs and ministries. 
In 2016, Common Heart hopes to become a way to make more connections for you and families in this community. We look to build connections of relationships between pastors, churches, and ministries beyond denominational structures. Through Common Heart CONNECTS we want to become a one-stop clearinghouse of information for families in need to access resources provided through local churches.
To introduce you to this new opportunity to serve those experiencing crisis, unemployment, disability and poverty, I would like to invite you to lunch on Thursday, February 18 from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at The Trail House, 6751 Old Monroe Rd in the Sun Valley area of Indian Trail. This will give us a chance to get to know each other and learn more about the Kindness Connects! Initiative, Charitas Network and Common Heart. Please join us.
Additionally, as part of our Kindness Connects! Initiative, we are holding our third Community Lunch Workshop.  This workshop is introducing the concepts of Bridges Out of Poverty and how to help struggling families living in survival mode move into stability and freedom.  Here is a flyer.
Thanks for reviewing this information.  Please take us up on lunch on Thursday, February 18.  If you can make it please RSVP to MaryKate.Postle@CommonHeart.org  or give us a call at 704-218-9060.  I would love to talk with you!
Bridging the gap together,
Keith Adams
Executive Director

Monday, February 1, 2016

NOW OPEN! Free tax service begins

Our annual free income tax service is now OPEN! 

During our first day on Saturday, our volunteers prepared and e-filed taxes for five local residents and already have 22 appointments scheduled this week! But don't worry, there's still plenty of room left for YOU! ;)   We have 11 trained and IRS-certified volunteers ready to serve, which is an increase in the number of volunteers from last year, Tax Service Coordinator Susan Ochs said.    

.


"We've got more volunteers this year, so if we can get the word out we hope to serve many more people than last year," Susan said. 

If your annual household income is $53,000 or less we can help you! To make an appointment, call 704-684-9007.

If you'd rather prepare and file them yourself, there's a free online service that can help. Visit: www.myfreetaxes.com. If your annual household income is under $62,000 you can use this free service!

Please spread the word ... 

Friday, January 15, 2016

OVERSTOCK SALE





We've been overwhelmed with community donations lately (THANK YOU!), so it's time for a sale! Saturday, Jan. 16 through Saturday, Jan. 23:
  • Clothing priced $3.99 and under = $1
  • Clothing priced $4 and over = 50% off
  • Shoes = 50% off
  • Jewelry = 50% off 
*LIMIT 10 children's and 25 adult clothing items per person, per day. Limit 5 pairs of shoes per person, per day. (Sorry, the sale doesn't include yellow tag items, accessories, winter wear (Dept 13), intimates or scrubs).

Common Things Thrift Store
321 Indian Trail Road North, Indian Trail 
(next to Indian Trail Laundromat -- Look for the bright blue building!)
Open Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.


*All proceeds help us feed our neighbors in need!

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Gleaner's Market Jan. 29

Spread the word!

Announcing our next Gleaner's Market Friday, Jan. 29 from 10:30 a.m. to Noon. At least four times a year we have an abundance of food that we need to give out and we can not do it through out normal channels.  So, we decided to try our own version of an outdoor farmer's market.                 

We will have fresh vegetables, fruit, and baked goods such as bread, cakes and cookies. There is no cost.  All participants will need to fill out an application and will need to either receive food stamps (SNAP) or make less than 200% of the federal poverty level.  Here is a link to the 200% FPL standard. We also ask that your family currently have a need for groceries so that everyone who has a need can get what they need. 


All households wishing to participate should begin arriving at 10:30 am (please, no earlier). The location is our community resource center, The Commonplace. 116 Business Park Dr, Suite A, Indian Trail, NC 28079.   

If you have questions or would like more information you can call us at 704-218-9060.

Friday, January 8, 2016

The results: Our Christmas Wish

Thanks to generous community supporters, our Common Cupboard food pantries now have a working walk-in cooler and a walk-in freezer. YEAH!

We raised $12,060 during the Our Christmas Wish fundraising campaign which meant repairs for the walk-ins and much more storage space for perishable groceries like meat and produce for those in need. (Our goal was $15,000 -- if you'd like to help close the fundraising gap, you can donate online at www.commonheart.org).                          


We're so very thankful to our friends who stepped up during the holiday season to help us make these repairs and prep for our work in 2016,” Executive Director Keith Adams said.

Remaining money from the fundraiser will be directed to feed more hungry families and the launch of the CONNECTS program and community educational workshops, known as Serving U. Common Heart's theme for 2016 is Kindness Connects.

“We know kindness connects people.
The vision for our CONNECTS program is that our nonprofit can serve as a connecting point in our community. We want to connect our neighbors in need to resources and connect those individuals, churches etc. who have a heart for service with ways they can help,” Adams said. Part of that connection will happen this winter with Common Heart being chosen as a participating agency for Duke Energy's Share the Warmth program to help low income families pay for their heating bills.


You can find more information about us online at: http://CommonHeart.org.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Free tax service starts Jan. 30!


Thanks to our generous community supporters, we're busy prepping to kick off our annual free tax service on Jan. 30!

This is the fifth year we've offered free tax services, which are completed by trained and certified volunteers as part of the national Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program. Individuals and families with an annual household income of $53,000 or less are eligible for the free assistance. You don't even have to live in Union County to qualify!                


In 2015, our tax service volunteers filed an astonishing 279 income tax returns -- 121 more than last year. The service saved residents an estimated $65,000 in tax preparation fees and got them more than $360,000 in total refunds! Though Common Heart receives a small federal grant for the program, we depend on donations from the community to keep the free service.

Our free tax service helps take the stress out of tax time and allows our hard-working neighbors to use the money they save on tax preparation fees for other needs, like food, rent or medical bills,” Executive Director Keith Adams said. “We serve people from all walks of life – college students, teachers, hair stylists, retail staff, local government employees and retirees.”

The free service at 116 Business Park Drive, suite A in Indian Trail, starts Saturday, Jan. 30 and is available by appointment only on Tuesdays from 3 to 8 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through April 15. To make an appointment, residents should call 704-684-9007.

Volunteer Site Coordinator Susan Ochs, of Marvin, said as she approaches her fourth year at the free tax service, she's eager to connect with new and old friends.
We have a lot of people who come back from year to year and you kind of get to know them. You sort of catch up,” she said. “For those who we haven't served before, I want them to know that yes, it really is free. There is no catch. We prepare state and federal taxes, e-file them and they just have to sit back and wait for the return.”

Want to learn more? Visit http://CommonHeart.org.

It's not too late to become a trained tax service volunteer! Email Susan.Ochs@CommonHeart.org