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LIGHTNING PHOTOS: Volunteers erect shelter for summer lunch program

Brett King of Flat Rock Custom Woodwork uses a power saw to cut a 6X6 post.

By Bill Moss, Published: June 13, 2015

Many hands made light work Saturday to make sure that there is such thing as a free lunch.

About 30 volunteers from churches, housing assistance agencies, construction contractors, the public schools and the neighborhood gathered at the Village at King Creek off Spartanburg Highway to erect a 20X40-foot picnic shed so kids won’t go hungry this summer. It’s all part of the Summer Feeding Program sponsored by the Henderson County public schools through a USDA grant.
In cooperation with other agencies, the schools will deliver hot lunches to kids ages 2 through 18 at the Edneyville Community Center, King Creek and Crosswalk, the First Baptist Church teen center at 577 Buncombe Street downtown.
Todd McCullough, the minister of Hope United Methodist Church in East Flat Rock, said one requirement of the grant is a covered space for shelter and tables to serve from. He knew of some feeding sites in Buncombe County that used pop-up tents and folding tables.
“We knew we were going to feed 25 to a hundred kids every day and that wasn’t going to be feasible,” he said.
Through social media, McCullough and others organized a mini-Tower of Babel workforce, without the language barrier and punishment from God. Whenever he needed something, McCullough said, it seemed someone stepped up to volunteer or donate. Contractor Mark Pace did the grading and poured the footers. Pro-Build donated lumber. Brett King of Flat Rock Custom Woodworks drew up the plans and volunteered to manage the project. Husky Construction will set the trusses and erect the roof.

Tim Cantrell did the concrete work on Thursday.
“He said if we had the forms done by 4 o’clock he would pour it that night,” McCullough said. “He stayed until 9:30 at night.”
The free lunch will be served from noon to 2 p.m. on weekdays.
“It’s an opportunity to not only provide a hot meal but for outreach in literacy and reading to the children,” said Amanda Stansbury, the county school system’s nutrition director. The lunch will include fruits and vegetables and mostly whole grain bread.
An added benefit is that the new picnic shelter becomes an amenity for King Creek residents to use all the time.
“The HOA had been wanting to put up a shed for years,” McCullough said. “When we started talking about building this they were very excited about it.”