LAURINBURG — Project INASMUCH’s story begins in 2006 with a delivery of children’s coats to I. Ellis Johnson Elementary School. It’s growth over the ensuing 13 years has been nothi9ng short of astronomical.
Virginia Ray, the founder and director of Project INASMUCH, spoke to the Rotary Club on Tuesday and gave a Reader’s Digest version of the organization’s history.
“I love charities, so I created a coat ministry for children and delivered them to schools,” she said. “When I was delivering coats to IEJ, the principal pulled me aside and told me about a group of students who were hungry and could not concentrate on their schoolwork — and I was asked if I could help.
“Naturally, I said yes,” Ray added.
That very first week, I was told they could use a bag of food each for 50 children.
“Well, Houdini I am not,” Ray said. “We managed to0 get 30, but I promised them we would have 50 the next week, and we did.”
Thirteen years later, Project INASMUCH supplies 10 schools with an average of 880 bags of food. Each bag contains nine food items — from apple sauce to cookies to Slim Jim’s to cereal bars to cheese crackers.
This past school year, Project INASMUCH supplied a total of 30,571 bags of food.
But food isn’t the only thing each student receives.
“Since the very first delivery, each bags has ‘Jesus Loves You’ written on it,” Ray said. “And we always pray over the bags before they are delivered.”
Ray said Matthew 25:40 has always been the theme that helped create Project INASMUCH.
Once the group got underway, it began receiving corporate help from places like Campbell’s Soup, Nic’s Pic Kwik, Scotland Memorial Hospital, Service Thread and Carolina Container, to name a few.
“These businesses have really lifted us up over the years in so many way — with volunteers, items we need and financially,” Ray said. “In addition, the United Way’s annual Day of Caring always attracts a lot of help for us.”
But Ray saved her biggest appreciation for the area churches.
“I could stand here all day and talk about how the churches have been so important with all the help they have given us,” she said. “Many are as faithful as you can be — you can bank on the fact that a check will come every year.”
Ray’s praise went even further.
“If there is a reason Project INASMUCH has been so successful, it’s because of the wonderful people we have here,” she said. “They just want to help children.”
Some statistics on child hunger across the country were also shared. According to one website, 19% of children across the country have what is being termed a “food insecurity.” Also, the highest concentration of hungry children come from Louisiana and New Mexico, where 28% of children there are considered hungry; the lowest percentage is in places like Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Virginia and Utah where 14% are hungry; and North Carolina’s percentage of hungry children stands at 22%.
Anyone interested in assisting Project INASMUCH financially can send a tax-deductible check to Ray in care of Project INASMUCH, 12560 Turnpike Road, Laurinburg, NC 28352.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or [email protected].