Matt and Ramona of 107.9 The Link, Food Lion and Second Harvest Food Bank team up to assist senior residents replace perishable items lost as result of power outage

BELMONT, NC (July 22, 2016) – After the storms earlier this month, 250,000 people across the state of North Carolina were left without power – some for multiple days. In one of the hardest-hit areas lies Mercy Place Belmont, a Mercy Housing Southeast property. This senior living center is home to 39 residents, most of whom live on a fixed income each month.

When the storms hit on Friday night, Mercy Place Belmont lost power and remained without power for close to 72 hours. During that time, all the perishable food purchased by the residents earlier in the month had spoiled, and they were left with few options.

“Most of our residents buy their groceries at the beginning of the month,” said Peggy Miller, Property Manager of Mercy Place Belmont. “That $125-$150 they spend each month is fixed, so when events like this happen, it’s almost impossible for them to replenish their groceries. It can be very stressful for them.”

Ms. Miller saw what was happening in the aftermath of the storms and contacted Ramona from the Matt and Ramona Show on 107.9 The Link. After learning about the plight of the Mercy Place Belmont residents, the hosts immediately began putting fundraising efforts into place. In a little over a week, over $8,000 has been raised to help replace the groceries lost as a result of the storms. One anonymous donor gave $5,000 towards the cause.

Together with Second Harvest Food Bank and Food Lion, three donation drives were held at three local Food Lion locations on Thursday, July 14. All of the money raised, along with the money donated to Mercy Housing Southeast directly, went towards gift cards for the residents to use at Food Lion.

“I am humbled that people would care this much about helping us here at Mercy Place Belmont,” said Sara Kreps, a resident at Mercy Place Belmont. “I was really surprised at the outpouring of kindness and donations we received. Thank you to all that contributed.”

For more information on how to donate to Mercy Place Belmont, please visit https://www.mercyhousing.org/donatebelmont.