Stamp Out Hunger

Your mailbox can do more than receive mail, it can help feed Henderson County. We start with a quick real estate market snapshot, then shift to something even more urgent: the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, the largest one-day food drive in the country, happening Saturday, May 9.

We’re joined by Lynn Stags from Storehouse of Henderson County, Jason Kimmel with the U.S. Postal Service, Matt Hutcherson from Interfaith Assistance Ministry, and Emily Sherlin from the Salvation Army. Together we talk about what food insecurity really looks like in Hendersonville and across Western North Carolina: seniors living on tiny monthly benefits, families one bill away from crisis, and neighbors making impossible choices between food and medication. We also talk about the hope baked into this drive, how last year’s haul supported agencies for months, and why awareness matters as much as pounds collected.

You’ll leave with practical guidance on what to donate, why to skip glass containers, and how your mail carrier turns a simple bag of nonperishables into immediate help for people who live right down the street. If you believe local community support should be direct, dignified, and measurable, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, share this with a friend in Henderson County, and leave us a review so more neighbors hear about the drive and the need.

Transcript

Welcome And Market Snapshot

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hello, friends. Thank you so much for being here. This is the George Real Estate Group Podcast, which is a production of our live weekly radio shows hosted on multiple radio stations here in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The George Real Estate Group serves Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina, and it is a privilege to share positive news about our local real estate market and community. Thanks so much for subscribing. And of course, if you have any real estate questions or if we can help you in any way, be sure to reach out. Visit us at George Real Estate Group Radio.com for more information. Good morning and welcome to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here in the queue every Monday morning sharing the positive news about your real estate market and community. And we have a full show today with a number of guests, which I'll introduce, or actually, my friend Lynn's going to introduce here in just a second. But uh before we do that, if you're tuning in for the first time ever, welcome. We're here every Monday morning right after 9 o'clock uh news. Uh the George Real Estate Group's located in Flat Rock. We serve all of Western North Carolina and the upstate. If the if you're thinking of buying, selling, or investing in real estate or even a career in real estate, we'd love to have the conversation. Uh no pressure, no cost, no obligation, confidential consultation. You can call us directly at 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestatebygreg.com. Also follow us on social media, Facebook and Instagram, and then we also podcast all of our radio shows. And if we can help you in any way, we'd love to have the conversation. Uh here's a quick snapshot on the real estate market. Average single family home price over the last 12 months is at 543. Uh, the average available home price is at 790 is the average available home price. Interestingly enough, we've had over 100 more homes sell, almost 110 more homes sell in the last 12 months versus the previous 12 months. And then the the home prices are holding. I mean, actually the average home price is up about$2,000, maybe$1,500, which uh you know is previously was at$541 in change, and now we're at$543. So prices are holding, increased uh demand. This is Henderson County, and uh it's just in the context of the market. The interest rates are the interest rates, the economy is the economy, and the thing we know about real estate is life happens, therefore uh real estate happens. And if so, if you're again thinking of if you're curious, if you're thinking about buying, selling, or investing in real estate or career in real estate, uh we'd we'd love to have the conversation and again, glad to connect, glad to have the conversation, um, and and we'd love to have the conversation. Have you ever heard the story of George Mueller? He ran an orphanage in England, one morning they had no food, none, and the kid sat down at the table anyways, and he prayed. You know, minutes later a baker showed up with bread, then a milkman whose cart broke down right outside, gave them milk before it spoiled, and just like that, breakfast was served. Now here's the thing. We hear stories like that, and we think, man, that was a miracle, but what if the miracle wasn't just the prayer? What if it was people who showed up? And this weekend something powerful is happening across our community. It's a National Association of Letter Carriers, Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, and your mail carrier, someone who you see every day, isn't just delivering letters, they're collecting food for families who may be sitting at a table right now wondering how they're gonna provide the next meal. And here's the connection you might be you might be the answer to someone else's prayer. So we're gonna talk this morning about the this this food drive, the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. And so when you put that bag of food in your mailbox, you're just not donating canned goods. You're becoming the baker, you're becoming the milkman, and you're showing up in someone's moment of need, maybe at just the right time. And so Joel George Mueller set the table before the food arrived. Today we're gonna help fill the table. And so I have Lynn Stags with us this morning, but along with some other guests. Lynn Stags with the storehouse of Henderson County and a number of other guests, which I'm gonna let Lynn introduce, but we're gonna talk about this national food drive, the stunk stamp out hunger food drive. And it's a it's a powerful event in our community.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

It is one of the most powerful events we do in this community as a group and nationwide. It's not just here, it's happening all over the country. And today with us we have Jason Kimmel from the Mail Carrier. We have Matt Hutcherson from Interfaith Assistance Ministry and Emily Sherlin from Salvation Army.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

And for let's talk about the let's talk about this drive, and we're gonna talk with everybody here. Um this is a significant portion of your annual donations.

SPEAKER_03 4:56

It probably lasts us three to four months at least, each one of us. Um last year it was almost forty thousand pounds, about thirty-eight thousand pounds. So it's it's huge for all of us.

SPEAKER_02 5:10

And for some just some details, it's it's this coming, it's always a Saturday before Mother's Day. Before Mother's Day.

SPEAKER_03 5:18

So it's a gift that keeps on giving. Make breakfast for those kids.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

That's true. And so it's called the Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Uh-huh. And it's every year, the second Saturday in May, and this this Saturday it's the May 9th. And so um, and it's and it's uh organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers uh from the US Postal Service. Um and it's actually the nation's largest one-day food drive, which is significant. Uh Emily, let's talk about uh the impact that this has on the on the Salvation Army.

SPEAKER_06 5:52

Oh good morning, thank you. Um yes, definitely. I agree with Lynn. This is our biggest food drive in the county, and it does bring in the largest amount of food items and those food items that are very much needed. You know, everything from soup and canned vegetables, so that peanut butter and jelly that all those kids are gonna definitely gonna want when they get out of school, right? And that's coming up quick.

SPEAKER_02 6:14

That's right. I mean, just a few more weeks, kids are gonna be out for the summer.

SPEAKER_06 6:17

They are so that definitely, you know, causes an increase in need for that emergency food assistance. And so the food that we get from the NALC Food Drive is so important because it's going directly back into our community. And the Salvation Army uh very much appreciates that food and is a wonderful blessing for all the people that we serve and being able to see that influx of food and the generosity that comes from the people in our community because it's really from the heart. You know, like think about this, you know, around Mother's Day for this to be, you know, a present for your mom. You know, mom, whether she's here and she's already gone on or she lives in another state, you know, honoring her within this food drive as well. Um, so we're very appreciative of the food from the NALC and the hands that touch it. Um, all these wonderful mail carriers that come together as a team, not only in the city but in the county, to bring this food in. And of course, we go out and meet those mail carriers and help them unload their carts and get that food back to the NX so it can be sorted. Uh so we're just very grateful.

SPEAKER_02 7:26

It's an incredible undertaking and operation. And we have Jason Kemmel with the the U.S. Postal Service. And Jason, when did you first get involved and realize what was happening with the the food drive? And we're we're so thankful to have you here this morning.

SPEAKER_05 7:40

Oh, thanks for having me. So I guess when I first started, about like five years ago, it was the first time I ever participated in the food drive, and I didn't really know exactly what to expect. And when I went out and delivered my route, I ended up filling up my truck with huge bags of food. It was much more than I expected. It's kind of a little bit of like a logistics hassle trying to figure out how to fit it all in the truck and deliver your route at the same time. But like I said, we got way more than we were expecting to get. And by the time I got back, I was really tired, really exhausted, and then everyone just helped me unload my truck. And it was just a really good feeling after such a long, hard day to be able to have a bunch of people just rush forward and like help you unload your truck, and they're so excited about all the food that you got and you're excited, and it just feels really good to be a part of this operation that's really giving back to the community in that way.

SPEAKER_02 8:38

Aaron Powell I mean it's an incredible undertaking. I mean, and and not everybody has to participate with the male carriers, but but you guys are so generous and you do. And so you've been now doing this five years.

SPEAKER_05 8:50

Yeah, five years. Yeah. And it's it's every year we try to get a little more food than last year. We try to really make an effort to reach out to the community to let everyone know the food drive's happening, let make sure that they can get the food out there in boxes, bags, whatever you can fit by your mailbox, we will pick it up. And we're also kind of competing with Asheville. So we're always trying to beat Asheville with the amount of food that we get every year. Trevor Burrus, Jr. It's a healthy competition. It is. It's definitely a healthy competition. And we're a smaller community than Asheville, and we tend to go kind of head-to-head with them, and a lot of years we beat them. So if you guys can if you guys want to help with feed as well.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

That's right.

SPEAKER_05 9:30

Yeah, put extra food out there so that we can win the competition again this year. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

That's amazing. I know, I know. I love my mail carrier. I I mean, I'm sure you I mean you're interacting with the community every day, and you get to be familiar with who you're you're serving and your customers and your in your routes. But I mean, again, it's a it's a unique uh you know role that you have and j and job that you have, but again, you're out there in our community every single day.

SPEAKER_05 9:55

Yeah, it's one of the best parts about the job is that we're out there five days a week, sometimes six days a week, really just seeing people, talking to them, like watching their kids grow up. You really feel like you're like embedded in the community, and it really helps when people end up donating things like this because you can see them giving back to their community, and it's just this really beautiful thing that everyone's doing out there.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Aaron Powell It's powerful. It's so powerful. Uh Matt Hutchers Hutcherson, did I say that correctly? Yeah, you got it. Awesome. With IAM, so grateful to have you here with us as well. What's the impact on your organization with IAM in the food drive?

SPEAKER_04 10:39

Yeah, I would say it's uh it's a similar impact to to our friends at Storehouse and Salvation Army. Um we talked about this uh this amount of food um you know lasting two or three months. I mean, just to put things in perspective and in context, uh last year at Interfaith Assistance Ministry, we served about one in out of every nine uh households in Henderson County. And uh and I'm likely my colleagues here uh have similar uh similar statistics as well. That really tells you about the need here in the community for this food.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Food insecurity is a real reality for so many.

SPEAKER_04 11:18

It really is. And so, you know, one in nine in a place like Henderson County, it's really uh uh you know, this is um this is a way that we can, this is a very tangible way that we can work with the Postal Service and with our other partners here to to to try to decrease that insecurity a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

It I we've said this before, uh Lynn, when you've been on the radio with me, but I mean there's really two sides of the same coin, right? Incredible prosperity and incredible need in the same community, which again, uh the generosity that our community uh has when we when the opportunities are out there, the community steps up. And again, part of what I I'm so grateful all four of you are here this morning, again, just to make awareness of our community, get the word out. I know that you guys at the mail carriers are putting bags out on sometimes, putting bags in the mailboxes, we're but we're just trying to get the word out. And and and even more so not just this Saturday, but the bigger perspective of of the needs in the community.

SPEAKER_04 12:21

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I think one of the great things about this particular event is that it's just the you know, not only is it uh um uh bringing in a lot of food, uh which is great, but it's also just generating a lot of awareness about the need.

The Hidden Need Behind Prosperity

SPEAKER_02 12:36

Yeah, it's it's significant. And um and again, this is again, we're so grateful that all of you are here sharing uh to our radio listeners this Saturday, the nation's largest one-day food drive in billions of pounds of foods, uh uh billions of pounds of food has been collected uh throughout the years. And it's and again, we'll and we'll talk more about this. We have a short break coming up, so we'll we'll have more time to dive into the details. But uh this coming Saturday, uh May 9th, and again, if you can participate in it, whatever you can, little whatever it's uh big or small, it matters, uh uh non-perishable food uh near or in the mailbox right before the mail is delivered. The letter carriers will collect it while running the regular mail route. Um but we're so thankful to be here every Monday morning uh sharing with you positive news about our community, about the real estate market, about life. And again, we're grateful to be here with you. Uh we have a short break coming up, but we have more to share with you, so stay tuned in. We'll be right back. Good morning and welcome back. You're listening to the George Real Estate Group live radio broadcast here on the queue every Monday morning. So thankful to be here with you, and a lot to be thankful for. And again, sharing with you about this upcoming National Food Drive by the Letter Carriers uh Association. And it's this Saturday, and we're gonna talk about things that you can bring, things that you can give, uh specific items to give and not give, right? I mean, there's some there's some fun conversations about that. But you know, I it you know, just again, it's perspective. And we live in an incredible community, and so many people want to live here, they want to move here, and we see that, the growth that's happening, and and you know, I mean, we're averaging 130 single-family homes a month selling in Henderson County. And I know maybe the shocking thing I said earlier was the average available home price in Henderson County is at 790, which is such a it might be it is shocking to hear average sold prices in the 540s, but you know, to think, and again, there's statistics out there uh, you know, out there, one in two, uh, one out of every two uh are living uh just paycheck to paycheck and and and can be you know one one challenge away from disaster. And again, this community that we live in is incredibly prosperous and is incredibly generous, and realizing there's there's families out there that are struggling just to make it. And so that's why it's so important to talk about the you know the the the needs and also to talk about the the opportunity to give and and to realize your neighbor might be struggling, and again, it's it's it's all ages, all demographics. Lynn, I know with the storehouse you guys focus and help the the uh older population.

SPEAKER_03 15:21

Well, we do help all ages, but I've always had a focus on seniors because little old ladies are my deal. I just love me some little old ladies, and that's why we initially started, and it just grew and encompassed the families because these little old ladies had children and grandchildren, and so you could see a whole family demographic being affected by the lack of whatever they're lacking. Right. And so it's it it's very moving to meet you know, you come across one little old person who's in housing or something like that, and our little old people get the least in food stamps. And people go, Well, they get food stamps, they'll be okay, but food stamps do not cover toilet paper, um soap, just make basic little things that you do need.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

Well, that so many of us take for granted.

SPEAKER_03 16:21

I mean just we don't think about it's just we accept that it's there and and our average little senior only gets maybe, maybe between fifteen to thirty dollars a month. What are you supposed to do with that?

SPEAKER_02 16:36

Yeah, it's it's impossible.

SPEAKER_03 16:38

It's ridiculous.

How Local Agencies Fill Gaps

SPEAKER_02 16:39

So all three of your organizations, and we have incredible nonprofits here in the community. Again, you guys are filling in the gap. And and again, we have this amazing food drive, which it's so important to participate in, but I think the bigger conversation is everything going on that you guys are again filling in the gap in our community. The need is real, and you guys are there every day. Uh let's talk let's talk more about the Salvation Army and then we'll talk more about IAM.

SPEAKER_06 17:05

Yeah, definitely. And you know, we are we are there Monday through Friday, and we're always there throughout the year. And um, you know, you think about your senior population, you know, we see them coming in the door, and uh, you know, they're making those hard choices. You know, am I gonna buy am I gonna buy my food? Am I gonna be able to get my medication? Am I gonna have to stretch that 30-day medication for 90 days? Um so you know, there are a lot of cho hard choices that people are making, and you know, the thing is is to respect and honor those people as they move through those changes and be able to serve them with dignity dignity, you know, and say, you know, we're here to help. You know, let's get you a food order, let's see what else we can do to assist you. And if we can't, what can we do to refer you over to another team partner that can help you with those individual needs? Um, you know, for the Salvation Army, uh, we have always been an integral part of the community. We've been active here a very long time, and uh it's quite the blessing to be able to work with such strong partners and to be chosen to be a recipient of this food drive. Yeah. Because right now we have 23 food pantries in Henderson County.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

Which just speaks to the the great needs.

SPEAKER_06 18:17

And every time I go in to check the list and to update the list, there's more and more and more. Um so what an amazing community we live in, you know, not only for your larger partners like the storehouse and interfaith and the salvation army, but for those churches that are stepping up, those individual families that are coming together and saying, you know what, this is what we're gonna do this weekend.

SPEAKER_02 18:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:39

Um so amen.

SPEAKER_02 18:40

Let's make a big let's make a big let's make a difference.

SPEAKER_06 18:42

Let's make that change, you know, and it takes all of us to do that, you know, not just you know, nonprofits, but it takes your neighbors, it takes your families. Um, and it takes for us all to come together to be able to help those that are most in need. And right now we're just seeing a lot of need. You know, there's a lot of people haven't recovered from Hurricane Helene. There's a lot of people that, you know, are living in their cars that are um, well, very much unsheltered and living on the street. We also have a very high population of homeless at this time in our community and helping them and meeting with them where they're at as well.

unknown 19:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 19:15

Um, so you know, once again, just be blessed to be a recipient and to honor um not only, you know, the agency you work for, but for our partners and for the people that we serve. Yeah. We're very blessed.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

Well said. Well said. Uh what let's talk about IAM. And again, we i we have a few minutes, but again, you're uh what would you like to share with our listeners?

SPEAKER_04 19:38

Sure, I can tell you I you know IAM exists to help our our neighbors that are facing crisis with uh meet their urgent needs. And so whether that's through uh through food, um, through financial assistance, which could include rent assistance, mortgage assistance, uh paying a utility bill, that sort of thing. Uh and also with essential clothing. And so that's really what we're what what we do. We've been around uh for about uh a little more than 40 years. Started uh here in Henderson County through the faith-based community, and uh every day uh we're serving you know 100 plus people coming through the door to meet those meet those urgent uh those urgent needs. Um I'll put a plug in. We also have a thrift store, and uh that helps us uh quite a bit, meet some of our needs, helps us feed more people in the community. And we have a big event coming up on May 15th, Spring Fling, 20% off all merchandise in the store. And uh you come and make a purchase, and that helps us also feed somebody uh or pay a utility bill or something like that. So a little bit about IAM.

What To Donate And Why It Works

SPEAKER_02 20:45

That's amazing. Again, so thankful to have all three of you here. Uh we uh and and again, uh also Jason, you're what would you say to the to our listeners again about giving and and maybe a last word and in uh the upcoming food drive this coming Saturday?

SPEAKER_05 21:01

Yeah, so no matter what your background is, your religion or political affiliation, giving food to people that's hungry is something that I think everybody can get behind. So all of this food goes directly back into your community. So if you're donating to other nonprofits or charities, you're not sure exactly where some of those resources are going, you can be sure that every single piece of food that you donate to this food drive is going to go right back to the people that you live around. And it's it's food. So when you donate money, sometimes some of that goes to overhead costs or something else. You know that this is all going directly back to the people. So if you could just put food, buy your mailbox in a box or a bag, try to avoid glass so that we can hopefully not have anything shatter and hurt the mail carriers or hurt the people that are volunteering to assist us. But anything else, any dried goods, pasta, peanut butter, jelly in in a plastic jar if you can find it. Whatever you can find, just leave it for your mail carrier this Saturday, May 9th, and we will pick it up and give it back to the community.

Final Reminder And How To Reach Us

SPEAKER_02 22:07

It's incredible. The gap is real in the community between those that that that have enough and those that are quietly struggling. And again, it could be it's not just strangers, right? It could be that your neighbor, it could be the family on the street, it's other children in your schools, elderly neighbors, single parents, working households. I mean, you know, people doing whatever they can, but still coming up short. And so Mother's Day this weekend is a beautiful time to remember that giving starts with the heart of a mother, right? Like noticing people's needs, feeding people, making sure what no one's forgotten. And so uh you know, just stretching what what is available, right? So the gap between those who have and those who have not can feel overwhelming, right? But um, when we look at it at a large scale, but generosity makes it personal in uh you know, a can of food, the bag of groceries, um, it's that simple act of of giving and and by the mailbox, right? Like we our community that we want to peep make sure people know know that they're seen and their their needs are seen. And that's what showing up this Saturday is gonna is doing, right? So most of us have something in our pantry that you could share, right? And for some people, that one thing could make the difference uh between that empty table and the meal, right? And so the pa that's the power of this this food drive. So again, if you're listening, if you have something, uh give what you can, put it out this weekend, and not to forget it's not just this weekend, right? We want to rem remind our listeners, this is an everyday struggle for our community. And so this is a great way to focus on it and to participate and give it. Um I love this line. The answer to the gap between those who have and those who have not is not guilt, it's generosity. Amen. And it's generosity giving giving back to community. So while we might not be able to solve you know a hunger everywhere, we you can put the food in the bag, you can make a difference, you can put it in the mailbox and make a difference for someone here in Henderson County. It's a powerful opportunity for our community. I'm so grateful for all four of you being here this morning and and to our community. Our community does step up, like and we've seen it day in and day out. And again, it's a great reminder to remind our community about the the needs that we have in this community. We're finishing up, but anything in wrapping up either any of you guys would like to say in wrapping up, just give you another moment. Again, thankful to have all four of you here. Lynn.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Yes. Please help us out, help our neighbors.

SPEAKER_02 24:41

And and and we have seen this, by the way. It'll be fun to report the numbers because I know last year the con again, it's amazing how our smaller community has out given the the actual community. So uh obviously we're a little all of us are a little biased where we live here in Henderson County. We're proud of of this home. And again, it's the amazing people and men and women and communities and nonprofits like yourselves and the individuals and male carriers. Thank you for all that you do. And so to our listeners, we just wanted to shine a light on incredible work being done. Again, your opportunity to give this Saturday, be part of something bigger, and make a difference through through generosity. Again, thank you for being here this Monday morning. Time flies uh when you're having fun, and we're here, and we'll we'll be here next Monday. And again, if you you need anything, whether it's real estate, whether you just want to have a conversation, if you need a recommendation for for help, I mean, whether it's a handyman or or just uh anything we can do, give us a call. 828-393-0134. We podcast all of our radio shows. Be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast platform. Have a great day. We'll see you next Monday.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

The George Real Estate Group has the experience of selling over 1,200 properties and serving over 1,200 families with their real estate needs in Henderson County and throughout Western North Carolina. The George Real Estate Group is located in Flat Rock, North Carolina and near Hendersonville in Henderson County. You can find them online at realestatebygreg.com. 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. Tune in live each week on Monday mornings at 905 on WTZQ FM 95.3 and 1600 AM or stream online at WTZQ.com.

SPEAKER_02 26:38

Maybe the house feels a little too big these days. The stairs a little steeper. The pace of life a little too fast. But what if your next move wasn't about letting go? It was about making space for peace, for freedom, for what matters most. At the George Real Estate Group, we understand that real estate isn't just about the house. It's about transitions, timing, and trust. We've helped thousands of families in Western North Carolina make smart, thoughtful moves. Closer to nature, closer to family, closer to home. So when you're ready to right-size, simplify, or start fresh, we'll be here. The George Real Estate Group. Local, trusted, proven. Call us today, 828-393-0134. Find us online at realestate by greg.com because your next chapter deserves to feel just right.