Two weeks after a late night blaze displaced Ashe Outreach Ministries from its former office in Clifton, organization officials say they are focused on moving forward and will continue to serve the county’s less fortunate – even if it will take a little a time to ‘re-grow.’

Following the July 6 fire that severely damaged the kitchen portion of the building, the organization relocated a short distance west on Highway 88 to the Riverview Community Center gym. Gregg Plott, the chairman over the board of directors for AOM, said that the organization is grateful for the center’s assistance amidst the devastating circumstances and is hopeful to “acquire more space as we move forward.”

In the moments following the fire, the organization began exploring options on how to continue their normal community outreach operations that distribute food to over 1,200 people a month. Although the mobile meals program is not operating at full capacity, the organization is however providing emergency care packages for those individuals who so desperately need it.

One of the organization’s more pressing concerns is the replenishing of the food pantry that was diminished as a result of the fire. Executive Director Rob Brooks said that within four days after the fire, a month’s supply of food (25,000 pounds) was immediately distributed to the community under the stringent guidelines of the Appalachian District Health Department to prevent it from going to waste. Brooks said that although the organization received its scheduled shipment of food from the Northwest North Carolina Second Harvest Food Bank, AOM is still in need of restocking depleted supplies.

With school starting just around the corner, Plott added that the outreach is also focused on re-starting the backpack program that serves 325 grade school students per week with a backpack of food on Friday afternoons.

Brooks explained that a walk through of the charred and burnt building revealed the true scope of the devastation and what it will take to re-grow.

“We’re very glad to have an emergency location and happy to continue to give out food but as far as resupplying, we need everything that a business would need,” Brooks said. “We need everything from cups, plates, and fans to pens, pencils, and filing cabinets.”

One of the questions that Brooks has been most frequently asked about is when the bimonthly fish fries will recommence. The fish fries have become the organization’s top fundraising event and Brooks said AOM is working hard to bring those back to the community. He said that those should continue in the near future. “The fish fries are excellent fundraisers and excellent community events because it brings the community together so much for both fundraising and fellowship,” Plott added.

Brooks is optimistic that two upcoming fundraising events will jumpstart the community’s giving spirit and help the organization get back to its former capacity. On July 30 at the Clifton United Methodist Church, there will be a fundraiser to benefit AOM and the local firefighters as “a thank you for them for all they did” on the night of the fire, Plott said. The event (from 5-8 p.m.) is a covered dish dinner and everyone in the community is invited to come with a covered dish and sample the other fine delicacies offered by their neighbors. “It’s a good ole fashioned church fellowship dinner on a Friday night and it’s a good fundraiser for the ministry as we try to get back on our feet,” Plott said.

On Saturday, Aug. 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the meadow next to the former AOM building in Clifton, there will be what is being dubbed by Brooks as a “Fire Sale” to help raise funds to replace destroyed items. Vendors as well as donations are welcomed. Brooks is also encouraging local businesses to donate items that will be sold during the silent auction. Both monetary and donated items (such as cans, garden produce, and non-perishables) can be collected on the day of the sale at the old AOM building at 9382 Hwy 88 West in Creston.

For more information contact Rev. Rob Brooks at (336) 977-1377.