George Real Estate Group Radio Broadcast

Stamp Out Hunger: A Letter Carrier's Mission

• George Real Estate Group

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Every spring, as Mother's Day approaches, a remarkable community effort unfolds across America that transforms ordinary mail carriers into hunger-fighting heroes. This week's episode spotlights the National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive through the eyes of Megan Lanning, our featured Hometown Hero and dedicated USPS letter carrier.

Megan, a Hendersonville native, mother of five, and 11-year postal service veteran, shares the remarkable impact this annual event has on our community. Last year, Henderson County residents donated an astonishing 39,000 pounds of food—nearly doubling Asheville's collection despite having half the population. This tremendous generosity provides critical support to three local organizations: Interfaith Assistance Ministry, Salvation Army, and the Storehouse.

The timing couldn't be more crucial. With our community still recovering from devastating hurricanes and fires, food insecurity has reached unprecedented levels. As Megan explains, participating couldn't be simpler—just place non-perishable food items by your mailbox, and letter carriers collect them during their regular routes. The beauty of this system is its efficiency and convenience, turning a routine mail delivery into a powerful force for good.

We also explore the current real estate landscape with Noah George, who reports that despite economic challenges, Henderson County's market remains resilient with approximately 125 homes selling monthly and an average price point of $540,000. Noah's insights reveal how life events continue driving real estate decisions regardless of interest rates or market conditions.

Whether you're a longtime resident or new to our community, this episode highlights the extraordinary difference ordinary people make every day. Join us in celebrating both motherhood and community service this weekend by participating in this vital food drive. Place those donations by your mailbox and help stamp out hunger in Henderson County!

Speaker 1:

The George Real Estate Group radio broadcast is celebrating 10 years on WHKP. The George Real Estate Group is celebrating 10 years on the radio live every Thursday morning at 10.05 on WHKP 107.7 FM and AM 1450 and streaming online at WHkpcom. Each Friday morning at 845,. The George Real Estate Group presents the Hometown Hero Award to someone in our community who goes above and beyond to make our hometown a better place to live. Here's this week's Hometown Hero Show Living on love Alan Jackson on Real Country and Living on Love at 845 on Friday morning Time for our George Real Estate Group Hometown Hero Series. Our favorite time of the week to get together, and we always get together with Noah George from the George Real Estate Group. Good morning, noah.

Speaker 2:

Good morning and happy Friday, and what a beautiful day it is today.

Speaker 1:

Man, it is After the storm. We had some really rock and roll thunder stuff last night and hail damage around the area, so that's still being looked at. But yeah, it's going to be a nice day.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

It's going to be a beautiful weekend too, with with mother's day, as well, absolutely looking forward to celebrating the moms all around our area and celebrating a mom here with us this morning. So, noah, how's the real estate business doing?

Speaker 2:

the market continues to move. I mean we're averaging 125 almost 126 single family homes a month selling in henderson county. Still low inventory levels, less than 500 active single-family homes in the market and our average single-family home price is hanging around $540,000 for the average single-family home price in Henderson County.

Speaker 1:

Have you seen an uptick in the spring activity?

Speaker 2:

Not only have we seen an uptick, we've actually seen a slight increase this current year to date versus the previous year to date.

Speaker 2:

So, that's really positive in light of the interest rates and all the news I mean the news be careful when you hear the news right, but the market's still moving. The interest rates are the interest rates, but life happens. Therefore, real estate happens and again the market is very strong here in Henderson County. So if you're thinking of buying, selling or investing in real estate, it's a great time to make some decisions, and you guys at the George Real Estate Group will be glad to shepherd you through that situation.

Speaker 2:

We do. We have over 100 years of combined experience, and we've all, in my career, have had the privilege of helping over 1,500 families with their real estate needs, and so we'd love to help. Give us a call 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygregcom and be sure to find us on our podcast. We podcast all of our radio shows. We've also been having tons of open houses this spring, and it's just so much activities going on. So, again, we're not doing one this Mother's Day, but we have some coming up in the following weeks.

Speaker 1:

So keep in touch with the Georgia Real Estate Group. Noah, help me welcome Megan Lanning to the microphone. Good morning, Megan. Good morning.

Speaker 3:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

It's so good to have you here with us, a letter carrier with the US Postal Service here in Hendersonville and a mom that we get to celebrate today.

Speaker 3:

Oh, thank you, yes, mama, five, that's amazing.

Speaker 2:

Well, Megan, you were nominated by Kenita Fox as a hometown hero and she said and I have to read it Megan Lynn Korn-Lanning, born and raised in Hendersonville, north Carolina, to Faye and Jeanette Korn. She's a 2008 Henderson High School graduate and serves on the alumni board. Megan is wife to Marcus Lanning, mother to five beautiful children. Megan's a wonderful sister, aunt, friend to men so many, and she meets no strangers and I'm sure you've seen her around in her blue uniform from the United States Postal Office and she's mentioned even in her Grinch mask. I guess I don't know if there's some story about that that from time to time, but there's no secret why she's your hometown hero yes, I do have a Grinch mask that I wear at Christmas a.

Speaker 3:

Grinch, yes, but I'm the complete opposite which?

Speaker 2:

makes it so ironic, right? Well, so you graduated from Hendersonendersonville high school, and then how long have you been working in the postal service?

Speaker 3:

uh, this july will be 11 years.

Speaker 2:

Wow, yeah and did you realize at the time they they always did the food drive.

Speaker 3:

I did not, I did not, I didn't, I didn't, I guess, notice that until I started the job and it obviously it's right before Mother's Day and it's an honor to help the community in that way.

Speaker 1:

We're talking about the National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive that the post office and postal letter carriers do every year and have for many, many years, and that is tomorrow. And in case you're not up to speed on that, I don't know how you're not, but it's an opportunity for you to place some non-perishable food items at your mailbox. Go ahead and tell us.

Speaker 3:

Megan, yes, this week we've been getting out cards as well as the food drive bags, which are a bright color so they stand out. It's not just trash that's being put in your box, like many people think, but it's to remind you to fill that bag. You can fill many bags. It's super exciting when you pull up to a box and they've put out big boxes of food.

Speaker 2:

Because you don't have to have the bags to participate.

Speaker 3:

No, you can put as much as you'd like. Whatever you feel led to contribute. We're happy to either pick it up beside your mailbox, in your mailbox, on your mailbox, whatever. So yeah, we'll be doing that tomorrow.

Speaker 2:

But sometimes people leave boxes.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, boxes of food and that's exciting to see. You know, I'm loading it in the back of the truck and, Um, some areas obviously give a whole bunch and you know by noon we're calling and like, hey, we need to unload, we're full Um, which is. Which is great, that's huge.

Speaker 1:

That's fantastic. Have you participated in this uh hunger drive every year that you've been with a post office?

Speaker 3:

Every year, unless I've been off by chance for that day, but yeah, every year.

Speaker 2:

It's all hands on deck All hands on deck.

Speaker 1:

Yes day, but yeah, every year it's all hands on deck, all hands on deck, yes yeah, and and I mean literally tons of food are collected.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yeah, tons of food, um, and the salvation army helps us a lot. The storehouse, um, interfaith, um. It's super exciting when you pull up with a full load and everybody just attacks you like okay, I'm gonna unload it now. You've done all the work.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's amazing.

Speaker 3:

So that's super nice and they're super helpful and generous to us that day.

Speaker 2:

It's incredible. So for Henderson County, it's Salvation Army, IAM and the storehouse that are the recipients. Last year, 38,000, almost 39,000 pounds were collected in Henderson County, which is staggering, and there was some friendly competition with Asheville.

Speaker 3:

Right, oh yeah.

Speaker 2:

Which Hendersonville almost twice as much was collected.

Speaker 3:

You're kidding me. We did, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Twice the population, but twice the generosity.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that was amazing.

Speaker 1:

That says miles about Henderson, countyenderson county.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah yeah, and I think now there's such a dire need, after going through the hurricane and fires that henderson county or just wnc in general has been through such drastic you know damages and everything, that there's a greater need, especially right now yeah, there really is a greater need yeah, I mean this.

Speaker 2:

This might come as a shock, but one in eight americans actually face insecure food insecurity. But then to your point about the hurricane here locally. I mean it was just exasperated, with you know so many people losing their homes and losing jobs and and then neighborhoods. I mean it's, it's hard, it's still.

Speaker 2:

We're still in recovery yes and, as we heard from the three non-profits, they I had them on the show this past week but just the demand is exponentially more. I mean the initial response by so many people. You know that, the with the churches and everything, but then the long-term recovery efforts. That's why this food drive is so important tomorrow.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, very important. Can't express it enough. Please, please, help us as much as you can. What an easy way you know to go through your cabinet and get rid of, you know, extra supplies you might have that you're willing to get off your hands. And what a convenience for us to just stop at every mailbox and pick up the food, because we're coming by anyways um, that's right, it's.

Speaker 2:

In addition, you're delivering the mail.

Speaker 3:

Yes, yeah mails and mail packages, and we'll grab your food too that's right.

Speaker 1:

What kinds of food?

Speaker 3:

uh, would you recommend what peanut butter, peanut butter, soup cans, uh, vegetables, you know just any dry goods.

Speaker 2:

I heard jelly is a hot commodity. Jelly yep. They said jelly is so expensive. You can't have peanut butter without jelly.

Speaker 3:

Right, of course.

Speaker 2:

But they also said to be careful, nothing glass. Avoid glass containers, non-perishable items, and then, of course, check the date.

Speaker 1:

Make sure it's current.

Speaker 3:

Correct.

Speaker 2:

But it makes a difference and, by the way, the food collected stays here in henderson county.

Speaker 2:

Yes, again interfaith assistance ministry, salvation army and the storehouse, the three recipients of all the food and there's going to be hundreds of volunteers tomorrow, I guess at the annex there to distribute it and to receive it, so okay it's amazing and, again, be sure to participate tomorrow and it can be a an extension of your your mother's day celebration. I mean, like, what a beautiful thing to do to give, uh, you know, in in honor of your mother. I mean, you know, it's a beautiful thing to do. Speaking of mother's day, happy mother's day to you. Oh, thank you. And you and you have five, five kids. That's amazing. You want to talk about?

Speaker 3:

your family.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we're a blended family, so I had two, my husband had two. Strangely enough, they were both the same ages. So when I say their ages it's like, oh, do you have two sets of twins? You know, and then we have one together, that's amazing. They range from almost 17 to eight.

Speaker 1:

Oh, and that's a busy household.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, never a dull moment.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I can tell, when you came in the room here today, you're, you're just kind of, you know, make things happen, let's get it done.

Speaker 3:

I'm trying.

Speaker 1:

And that's the way you got to do it.

Speaker 3:

Yes, and that's the way you've got to do it, yes.

Speaker 1:

Well, again, we want to remind everyone that you can put those food, non-perishable food items out at your mailbox tomorrow, and it's a good way to remember when this is, it's always the weekend of Mother's.

Speaker 3:

Day. It's always the Mother's Day weekend, the Saturday right before.

Speaker 1:

Well, make sure to do that tomorrow, and the letter carriers will be out all day long taking care of getting that food to those who need it. Getting ready to start on next year I would assume it's an ongoing process.

Speaker 3:

It's an ongoing process.

Speaker 2:

Well and that's the thing, that again our nonprofits are here every single day in our community with the food banks and the food drives, I mean, and they said this is such a shot in the arm where they can, instead of spending money on getting more food, this is a I mean 13,000 pounds each nonprofit received last year. I mean 39,000 pounds each nonprofit received last year. I mean 39,000 collectively. And it's just so important and it makes a difference here in the community to participate in this.

Speaker 1:

That's close to 20 tons of food, and if we're speaking to anyone who has a food insecurity, Speaking to anyone who has a food insecurity, be sure to contact any one of those organizations that we mentioned Again Interfaith Assistance Ministry, Salvation Army and the Storehouse, and they can help you with foods. They both, all three, have pantries that are open.

Speaker 2:

They do absolutely have you enjoyed being a letter carrier?

Speaker 3:

Oh, I love it you get to see the community every day and I rotate routes every day and I do the same five routes unless whatever reason, but I have my favorites on each route. I get a change of scenery every day and I've done that the whole time, so I really enjoy it. I love being outside doing my own thing, interacting with the community, with the dogs the good dogs.

Speaker 1:

You've got dog biscuits on your truck?

Speaker 2:

Yes, of course Do you have your favorite dogs.

Speaker 3:

I'm sorry to see you. Oh, yes, yes, I do.

Speaker 2:

And then I'm sure you get to see your regulars, maybe the retirees or somebody that's yep or the businesses that I deliver to.

Speaker 1:

I enjoy going in and talking to them and we've developed relationships over the years because I've been on the same routes for so long, so I really enjoy it that's amazing megan lanning is our george real estate group hometown hero this week and she's going to be busy tomorrow with the national stamp out hunger food drive that the letter carriers put on every year. Tomorrow's your chance to contribute non-perishable food items. It can be placed at the mailbox. It is so simple to do this and it's a great time and a great feeling for you to give food to the less fortunate in our area. We've got a couple of minutes left here, noah. Tell us about the real estate business, if you will. Well, the market.

Speaker 2:

Again you got to be. You hear all the news. I can just say that the market's the market. We're helping people every single day with their buying and selling. We're helping people with their investments as well. If you have real estate, rentals or commercial property and we're doing 1031 exchanges and helping people navigate through that, and even as you're thinking about your estate planning in regards to what real estate looks like, I mean there's so many things to consider. I mean we don't just help people with their personal and we do. We work with a lot of personal residences your primary home that you might be buying or selling, but also your investments and again, whether it's raw land, you know, existing rental properties or commercial properties. I mean we work with it all and we're growing at the Georgia Real Estate Group. So if you want to have a conversation in any of those areas, we'd love to have the conversation.

Speaker 1:

And again, we podcast. We will podcast today's episode of the hometown hero series and that podcast will join all of the other podcasts that you do here, uh, in western north carolina well, and I was doing some math.

Speaker 2:

I've done. We've done over 1600 live radio shows since I started the program in 2011 and then added additional shows, but just a couple years ago, you and I started podcasting this, yeah, and just passed over 11,000 downloads recently.

Speaker 1:

I know I was like wow where did that happen?

Speaker 2:

But you never know Again. You can subscribe to our podcast. You can check it out. We put all of our live radio shows on the podcast.

Speaker 1:

And Megan, we invite you to grab that podcast. We'll have it on our Facebook page and other pages here in just a few minutes and spread that around. I know those kids are going to want to say here's mom on the radio.

Speaker 3:

Yes, I sent them the last one we did. Oh, that's awesome.

Speaker 1:

Have a great week everyone. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms. Thank you for listening.

Speaker 2:

There's a strange thing that happens in life. Sometimes, when things are just okay, we stay stuck longer than we would if things were truly bad. It's called the region beta paradox and explains why people stay in homes, that kind of work neighborhoods that used to be okay, or rentals where the price isn't too bad because it's comfortable. But comfort can cost you your dreams. What if you didn't wait for something to break before you made a breakthrough? What dreams? What if you didn't wait for something to break before you made a breakthrough? What if the nudge you've been waiting for is now? At the George Real Estate Group, we hear it all the time. I'm so glad I did it while I could. The move, the decision, the change before it's too late. Whether you need more space, less stress or just a fresh start, you don't have to stay stuck, you don't have to settle and you don't have to do it alone. Call the George Real Estate Group at 828-393-0134. Don't let just fine, hold you back. Let's make a move while you still can.

Speaker 1:

The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, north Carolina, near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygregcom. The George Real Estate Group can be reached at 828-393-0134 or stop by their office at 2720 Greenville Highway, flat Rock, north Carolina, carolina. Tune in live each week on Thursdays at 10 0 5 AM on WHKP 107.7 FM and 1450 AM, or stream online at whkpcom or download these podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. The George real estate group brings you the WHKP hometown hero series every Friday morning at 8 45.