Just one of the multiple carriers that came to pick up a large order of boxes to deliver throughout the community.
                                 Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

Just one of the multiple carriers that came to pick up a large order of boxes to deliver throughout the community.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>These boxes were stacked to go out for deliveries. More than 300 were given out prior to these being prepped.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

These boxes were stacked to go out for deliveries. More than 300 were given out prior to these being prepped.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>An inside look into one of the coolers that held both frozen chicken and ribs for those who showed up for the distribution event.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

An inside look into one of the coolers that held both frozen chicken and ribs for those who showed up for the distribution event.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

<p>Volunteers help load up a huge distribution as part of Friendly Trio Community Development Center’s monthly outreach, this one including 45 boxes.</p>
                                 <p>Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent</p>

Volunteers help load up a huge distribution as part of Friendly Trio Community Development Center’s monthly outreach, this one including 45 boxes.

Michael B. Hardison | Sampson Independent

CLINTON — The Friendly Trio Community Development Center continued its fight against food disparity in Sampson, hosting its monthly drive-thru community food distribution this past Friday.

While they’ve been going strong since getting into full swing amid the pandemic, handing out every form of food imaginable, it’s been huge support from the community that’s kept it in stride.That involvement shouldn’t be understated either as every event is run completely with volunteer work.

For those volunteers, however, work wasn’t in their minds when expressing how they felt about lending aid for the cause.

“I enjoy helping others and making sure that we get fed in some kind of way and that’s pretty much all there is to it for me,” Kim McNeil said. “Really, that’s what it boils down to. I just truly love helping people, because if you bless others, you will be blessed in return. A lot of people don’t understand that sometimes because it’s always about ‘gimme gimme gimme,’ but they never try to give. If they never give, how can you expect the Lord to bless you if you never do any blessing?”

“Being out here is a great blessing because a lot of people are homeless, have no food or they can’t even get out and go get food,” Pastor Peggy Johns said. “It does me pleasure to be out here to serve and be the servant for each and everyone them.”

“Each person that comes up is eager to get the food and there’s a shortage, not just here, but in the whole world today,” she added. “Every little bits helps and I’ll be here to help in any way I can. I just wish more people would come together to help one another the way we are doing out here.”

While there are always new volunteer faces at each event, there’s some that have been there every time. A couple of them shared their feelings on what makes them continue to show up and lend support.

“I just enjoy doing it and I’ve been doing stuff like this for past 16 to 17 years,” James Troy Faison said. “I have no problem lending my help and doing what needs to be done to help people — it’s been a great experience.”

“I agree, it’s good to able to help somebody and I help out and volunteer when I can, because I’m not always able to. But when I can I do,” James Lawson said. “It’s nice to see the happy look on people’s faces when they get what’s given to them.”

Volunteers don’t just come to the development center either, as multiple groups from places such as churches or community centers show up to take deliveries to various places in the county. These are not small pick-ups either as these groups often take upwards of 30 to 40 boxes or more with them.

One such person who showed up during this event was Regine Andre, who spoke on the importance of this event.

“It is a great help because the people that I’m carying for are the same people that often end up here,” she said. “People are in dire need of this because for the time being they could be not working or unable to work for example. So this is truly a big help to them and it’s just a blessing.”

To find out how to become a volunteer for the Friendly Trio CDC or to learn about how to receive aid, contact Charles Strickland at 910-590-4925.

Reach Michael B. Hardison at 910-592-8137, ext. 2588. Follow us on Twitter @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.