ZIRCONIA, NC (FOX Carolina)- In western North Carolina, a group of volunteers are feeding the community in Zirconia.

So far they’ve helped more than 100 families.

The pandemic has been difficult for so many people, but donations are making a difference here in Zirconia.

The Olive Branch Food Pantry is helping the community, one food box at a time through this Manna Express Mobile Market.

This effort is sponsored by Grafted Olive Catering and Only Hope organization.

Tamara Maybin, olive branch food pantry, says “being able to serve and be a blessing in the community since we don’t have a whole whole lot down here. We have a pretty good size community, but not anybody doing a whole whole whole lot so it has been a blessing for different people in the community being able to come down.”

Maybin says the response from the community to this effort has be larger than they imagined.

“Tremendous. We didn’t realize that… we knew it would be a blessing to the people in the community, but we didn’t know that it would be this big. We have been doing it every other week and we’ve seen at least 150 families come through here,” says Maybin.

They’ve also been able to provide both hope and purpose to those in need.

Maybin says, “Each week that we have been doing this… you know I’ll tell you what we’ve had so many people say thank you and what a blessing this is that we’ve been able to do this and they’ve come to help too. So we’ve had other people that were in need volunteering as well so that’s even better.”