Student's food pantry still going strong
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on August 3, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Mackenzie Hinson, 10, the founder of Make a Difference food pantry, stands in the middle of her new location on U.S. Highway 13 South near Grantham School.
kballard@newsargus.com
Mackenzie Hinson is a ball of energy.
On Tuesday, she danced around with a broom cleaning up her new storefront.
The day before, she had gotten back from a week of tap dancing in Chicago.
But she doesn't have time to be jetlagged, she has mouths to feed.
The 11-year-old is preparing her new Make a Difference food pantry for inspection and its grand opening next week. The new location is on 3518 US Highway 13 South, in a strip mall near Grantham Schools.
She has received her official 501(c)(3) status and is able to shop at the food bank in Raleigh, where she will be able to purchase food cheaper.
Since opening in April, she has fed 1,123 people.
Her mother, Paige, says they pack the bags for a family of four for four meals.
The partnership with Food Lion in Mar Mac has been vital to keeping the pantry stocked. With the surplus of food, the pantry will open the second and fourth Thursdays of each month from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
On Sunday, Mackenzie hosted a Make a Difference Hunger Walk at Westbrook Park in Mount Olive. The walk brought in 60 cans of food for the pantry.
The idea came from her peanut butter and jelly drive on Facebook.
"I said, we should do a walk-a-thon," Mackenzie said. "But instead of paying to walk, people can just bring food."
They had some entertainment, including cloggers from Wallace, and lemonade and cookies as refreshments.
On Tuesday, Mackenzie will cut the ribbon at her new, bigger Make a Difference food pantry.
"It's still a halfway point for Goldsboro and Mount Olive," Paige said. "There's nothing this side of the county. There was a food bank in Dudley, but they're closing."
Patrons of that food bank are being rerouted to Make a Difference.
Mackenzie also partnered with Brogden Middle School for Backpack Buddies, where she will deliver an estimated 52 bags of food every Friday for students.
"Do I feel like I've made a difference?" she asked, pausing. "Yes, I absolutely do."
She hasn't done it alone. Her 4-H group, church youth groups and Mar Mac Food Lion employees have helped fill her volunteer calendar for packing and distributing the food.
"Everyone has been so helpful," Paige said.
This week, Mackenzie and Paige worked on decorating the pantry. They hung butterflies and flowers on the wall. Mackenzie wants to hang polka dots on the walls, too.
It looks like a little girl's dream.
But Mackenzie's dream is to help more people, so she upping her fundraising efforts this week and is applying for grants to ensure there is always enough food.
Also on Tuesday, the Goldsboro Zaxby's will host a fundraiser for the pantry. On Aug. 9, Ribeyes Steakhouse in Mount Olive will donate 25 percent of its sales.
To keep up with her progress, follow Make a Difference Food Pantry on Facebook. If interested in donating time or money to the organization, call Paige at 919-330-8202.