About 5 years ago, Brooks Nichols heard this ministry mentioned at his church, First United Methodist in Newton. It was said that there was a need for volunteers, so Brooks decided to come visit and see if there was a place for him.  There absolutely was, and a wonderful relationship was born.  Brooks has faithfully volunteered almost every day since he began.  He likes to come in the mornings, work for a few hours, go home for lunch, and then come back and work another couple of hours in the afternoon.  We can pretty well always count on Brooks to be with us unless he’s out playing golf. 

Denny initially saw an announcement about the ministry in his church bulletin at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Newton, and since then has been a very faithful volunteer. At the time, the ministry needed grocery drivers, and Denny decided he would see if he could help.  We had some weekend spots available, and Denny took them.  He has been doing these runs now for the last 10 years! 

It would be tough to imagine life at Ashure Ministry without Rick Burgess. Rick worked for the Catawba County Maintenance Department and became very familiar with the ministry while working on our facilities for the county.  Later, his wife Glenda began working at Ashure Ministry.  Between Rick’s previous experience and his connection through his wife, Rick began volunteering with us after he retired and has now been volunteering for over a decade!  

Ebenezer UMC in Vale is one of our supportive churches that volunteers regularly and has sent volunteers for years now.   They always come on the second Thursday of the month. It started with just a couple of folks coming every month and now...

Dora began volunteering about 10 years ago after retiring from teaching. She was looking for something to do and ended up coming to ECCCM, now Ashure Ministry. Here, she feels she has found a new home.  Dora has become one of our most faithful volunteers, loving the people she works with, and knowing the work she's doing is making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate in our area.

Ralph Dell is one of our volunteers who helps to add a lot of fun to our work environment.  Ralph started volunteering about 7 years ago.  He had retired and was looking for a way to donate his time back to the community, and luckily for us, he found our ministry. Ralph found a place where he could do meaningful work and be around people who he enjoyed working and joking around with. 

Sylvia Hansmann has been one of our most faithful volunteers over the past several years.  She started coming here a few years ago after it was suggested that she give volunteering at Ashure Ministry a try by a member of her church, First Methodist Church in Conover.  Originally, Sylvia worked with us in the food pantry.  However, one day she went over to help the folks working with the thrift store donations.  There were many donations coming in that day, and Sylvia saw the need for extra help.  She greatly enjoyed helping in this area as well as the people she worked alongside. She’s been working with the thrift store ever since!

Betty Lynch has very quickly become a beloved volunteer at Ashure Ministry. She started back in 2022. After the passing of her husband, she found the opportunity to volunteer... something she had always wanted to do. When she came to Ashure, she wasn’t sure what she’d find, but she quickly discovered a place filled with great people all working together for a wonderful cause.