Shining in our February Volunteer Spotlight: David and Aaron Williams!

David Williams and his son, Aaron, have been faithful volunteers at Ashure Ministry since 2019. After their church’s small food pantry closed, they began looking for another place where they could continue serving in a similar way. Thankfully for us, they found their way to Ashure Ministry.

Over the years, David and Aaron have helped in many areas of the pantry, but one of their favorite roles is handling our grocery store runs. Not long after they started volunteering, we found ourselves in need of additional drivers—and they immediately stepped up. Today, they faithfully cover two Friday runs and one Saturday run each month.

Their reliability makes a tremendous difference. Grocery store pickups are essential to keeping our shelves stocked, and having volunteers we can depend on allows our staff to breathe a little easier after especially busy weeks. For David and Aaron, though, it never feels like an obligation—it’s simply something they enjoy doing.

David recalls one particularly memorable Saturday at the Maiden Food Lion. When they pulled up for their usual pickup, they were stunned by the size of the donation waiting for them. In addition to the usual produce and bakery items, there were several large boxes of meat—each weighing more than 50 pounds. Working together, father and son loaded everything into the van and brought it back to the pantry to weigh. The total? More than 300 pounds of meat from a single store! It was an exciting day and a powerful reminder of how much impact one pickup can make.

The Williams family supports the ministry in other ways as well. Each year, they participate in the Catawba County Hunger Walk and contribute to our annual March Madness Challenge. March brings some friendly competition to their household—David cheers for Carolina, while Aaron proudly supports Duke.

For David and Aaron, volunteering at Ashure is simply about doing good where there is real need. They see the challenges many families face in our community and are grateful for the opportunity to serve. David often shares that his family has been blessed with what they’ve needed over the years, and volunteering is one way they can give back. David commented on how he and his family have been blessed with everything they’ve needed over the years; he knows that others aren’t as fortunate, so he, Aaron, and his wife Barbara, are happy to come to Ashure Ministry and volunteer and pay their blessings forward. He believes that anyone who is retired and able should consider finding a place to serve and make a difference.

We are deeply thankful that the Williams family chose Ashure Ministry as their place to serve. Their steady presence, servant hearts, and joyful commitment help ensure our mission moves forward week after week.