Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/47666
Hunger Stand Down Asks Neighbors to Help Neighbors by TERI MEDINA When President Barack Obama urged Americans to go out into their communities and help their neighbors, Bishop Larry Wright heeded the call. The result is the 2nd Annual Homeless & Hunger Stand Down on Friday, Nov. 18 at V.F.W. Post 6018 at 116 Chance St. from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. The H & H Stand Down is the largest one-day community event to focus on feeding the hungry in Fayetteville. In 2010, 1,300 residents were served. Event organizers hope to feed more than 1,500 this year. Wright, the president of the Fayetteville-Cumberland Ministerial Council and the chair for the 2011 H & H Stand Down Committee, worked with Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina, Heal the Land Outreach Ministries, Walmart, 107.7 FM, The Salvation Army and the United Way of Cumberland County to make the event a reality. Wright modeled the H & H Stand Down after Feed Fayetteville, a local organization that feeds the homeless and hungry. He then added local organizations to bring information and resources to people working to rebuld their lives. The meal is just part of the bigger purpose that Wright hopes to bring to homeless residents. "We not only want to feed people, but to give them information and build an ongoing relationship with them. They are in need, they're homeless, they're struggling. We want to help them build a better quality of life," he said. Participants will go through a round robin of organization booths providing information on prescription assistance, medical and dental assistance, housing, identifi cation services, job placement, educational opportunities and VA assistance. After completing the round robin, residents are invited to the free lunch. Community members are needed to fi ll a variety of volunteer positions including serving on the lunch line, distributing clothing and coats, helping with parking, security and event set-up and take down. There is also a food drive on to replenish the shelves of Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina. If you can't volunteer on the day of the event, you can still help by donating blankets, rain coats, umbrellas, sleeping bags, gloves and hygiene items to Second Harvest Food Bank at 406 Deep Creek Rd. Donations will be distributed to residents at the H & H Stand Down. Wright hopes the Fayetteville business community will get behind the H & H Stand Down. Corporate sponsorships are available. Continuing community support will help the event grow throughout the years. He intends to expand the event to fi ll the Crown Coliseum one day. Wright took President Obama's call to action to heart. "We are one another's neighbors and we're here to inspire and serve. We are an All-American city. Working together, we can always achieve more," he said. For more information on the 2011 Homeless & Hunger Stand Down, please contact Bishop Larry Wright at 568-4276 or Crystal Moore- McNair, Community Impact Director for United Way of Cumberland County at 366-4725. Rockfish Church Feeds More Than Your Appetite by KATHY BARNETT If you drive down 401 South looking for RockFish Church, you might not recognize it at fi rst glance. In fact, you might think the building is a seafood restaurant until you take a closer look. What with the bright sign fl ashing, the big blue awning and the more than a dozen umbrella-covered tables out front, one could be surprisingly fooled by the building's appearance. But the surprises aren't just outside.This non-traditional church has even more surprises once you enter. On Friday and Saturday nights you will fi nd hamburgers, french fries and drinks waiting for you to take from Café Rock to go to the restaurant-style worship center fi lled with more than two dozen tables complete with candlelit centerpieces. Or if you prefer, you can eat al fresco at the outside dining area, which is equipped with large screen TVs and surround sound piping the sermon live while you enjoy your meal with your family. This is defi nitely not your ordinary Sunday scene. With roughly 1,500 members, the church feels it has a vital role to play in reaching out to the surrounding community and meeting the many needs that are there. The church has three established Sunday services with a large, exciting children's program, but it also offers a mid-week service each Wednesday. With the latest addition of the Friday and Saturday night events, the church believes it is offering something to accommodate everyone's schedule and individual style. When asked about why the church felt the need to offer such unique Friday and Saturday service options to its members and the community, Senior Pastor Dan Stanley said, "As did the early church in the book of Acts, there seemed to be a growing need for fellowship and the taking meals together in order to develop a grace-fi lled, encouraging community. Having six services every week allows for multiple opportunities for people to worship together. There has been a mounting excitement among the congregation that has seen people that would normally not visit a church on Sunday attend a café-style service and enjoy worship and hear the stories of God's love." The church members are also busy doing a number of other atypical events in order to better serve the people that live in the greater Hoke County area. One ministry is the Alpha Pregnancy Support Services, located at 114 Campbell Ave. in downtown Raeford. This program was designed to help young women facing the trials of an unplanned pregnancy with training programs, emotional support and the practical supplies needed to care for a new baby. Another ministry is Community Support Services located directly next door to Alpha Pregnancy. CSS has regularly scheduled yard sales during seasonable weather to offer gently used clothing and household supplies for those who need it. They WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM use funds raised through the sales to purchase items for Alpha as well as a yearly Christmas outreach called Operation Christmas Joy, which provides hundreds of pairs of gloves, scarves and hats as well as new toys to the children just prior to the Christmas holiday. Two of the key demographic groups targeted by RFC to minister and serve are the youth within the community and the military families surrounding Fort Bragg. The church offers several unique ways in which kids and military families can gain resources they may need, as well as get plugged into fun, safe activities. For instance, during the warmer months, there is a paintball ministry which runs nearly every Saturday. For a $10 donation anyone, over the age of 8, with parental consent, can paintball in a fully enclosed fi eld fi lled with infl ated bunkers and targets. The fee pays for equipment rental and supplies; however, you can bring your own supplies and play for free. In lieu of money, participants can donate non-perishable food or diapers for use in other ministries. There are referees and adult supervision on the fi eld constantly so you know your kids, big and small, are having fun and are safe. Another ministry offered to young people within RFC is their monthly First Friday event. This is open to all middle and high school students and is held the fi rst Friday of the month. The event features food, and following the Friday service, the teens participate in games including outdoor night volleyball, board games, relay races, and Wii tournaments. The RFC production team performs drama and the worship band plays teen-friendly worship music. Serving the military community is a high priority for the church, which offers many opportunities for soldiers and spouses to become involved from July 4th events to a pitch-in Thanksgiving dinner where military families can share the holiday when they can't go home. Military at the Cross, or MAC, is a ministry within RFC designed to offer ongoing support and assistance to those within the different branches of the U.S. military as well as their families who may need aid during deployments. RockFish Church is all about reaching out to the people within the community. They offer many different activities and resources to train and equip people to live life more fully. Don't let the outside of the building fool you, it isn't just a place to eat, it's a place to feed your spirit. For more information on the resources, activities and services visit the church's website at www.RockFishchurch.com, or call the church offi ce at 875-5680. RockFish Church is located at 9949 Fayetteville Rd., Raeford. NOVEMBER 16-22, 2011 UCW 9