Richlands nonprofit finishes strong 2022. Here's what's coming in 2023 and how to get involved

An Onslow County non-profit changed a lot of lives in 2022 and has even bigger plans for the new year.

Overflow Cafe, located inside City Harvest Church at 111 Kinston Highway in Richlands, is made up of a diverse team of people with the same goal, according to Overflow Cafe Fundraising Coordinator Amanda Humphrey.

That goal? Leaving the community better than they found it through meeting basic human needs that so many take for granted.

"We are so close to becoming an official 501(c)(3), we can taste it," Humphrey said. "As a church-based outreach, the Overflow Cafe team accomplished so much. We cannot wait to see what is in store for us now that we are stepping out in faith as a separate entity, though we will still be partnering with City Harvest Church of Richlands as situations allow."

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Humphrey said Overflow Cafe's primary mission is to feed their neighbors who need a meal and provide basic needs that may be hard to come by.

She said they were recently approached by a mother who needed help. She is on palliative care and while prices on everything have increased, her fixed income has not. The mother was waiting on approval for state benefits and after a week of eating oatmeal and instant noodles, she decided to ask for help.

"Our community rallied around this mother and provided not only groceries, but funds to help get her bills caught up so she didn’t have to worry, as well as memories for her children to carry forever," Humphrey said, adding Coastal Jumps LLC is giving the family a bounce house day on an upcoming school holiday, while both Kelly Kincaid Photography and Nichole Davis Photography offered the family a chance at updated family photos.

"Not every situation can be embraced like this family, but to see the community come together like that was a great start to the new year," Humphrey added.

Overflow Cafe began in 2021 as a community cafe, and Humphrey said their team quickly realized there was a need for food to be delivered to those in need.

In 2022, Overflow Cafe served thousands of hot meals to their neighbors. They also expanded to include Harvest House, a blessing shed that holds hygiene products, dental care products, feminine health products, nonperishable food items and cold weather gear.

They also partnered with school social workers to provide food and holiday treats to five Richlands-area families over the winter break, Humphrey said.

"On the partnership side of things, we set up a long-term partnership with David’s Yard Service LLC in Richlands to turn scrap metal into food for someone’s table, which is pretty fantastic," Humphrey added.

So, how can you help?

Humphrey said it's hard to gauge what they need on a day-to-day basis since the community's needs change with the weather. Currently, though, they are in need of nonperishable food items for both Harvest House and the kitchen.

She said pasta and coordinating sauce are a staple, along with canned vegetables/fruit and pop top meals like spaghetti rings.

"Harvest House has a regular need for hygiene and feminine products," Humphrey added. "Deodorant seems to be among our quickest moving items, with toothbrushes and toothpaste right behind them."

If you'd like to donate to Overflow Cafe and/or Harvest House, donations can be delivered to City Harvest Church during church office hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Harvest House building is the white shed off the parking lot and items can be placed on the donation shelves.

"Community is key to our ability to reach our neighbors," Humphrey said. "One of the biggest needs we have is community partners who are willing to host collection drives on our behalf, but every item and penny is beneficial to this mission. You can fill a belly with less than a dollar, and help a woman avoid an infection because she doesn’t have period products for less than $5."

Because they are waiting for 501(c)(3) approval, Humphrey said monetary donations are currently limited to check, cash or cashapp at $overflowcafe. However, once that approval comes through, they'll be setting up other avenues to donate.

Humphrey added they also have an Amazon wishlist and frequently post needs to Facebook.

You can also volunteer.

On serving nights, which start Jan. 20 and will occur the third Friday of each month, the kitchen team begins between noon and 1 p.m. However, if you'd rather help box up meals, consider arriving around 3 p.m., or you can pop in at 6 p.m. to help clean up. Cooking takes place in the City Harvest Church fellowship hall.

Humphrey emphasized again that they're especially grateful for the help they've received from the community.

"In December, a local woman held a community kindness event and traded her handmade items for bags of nonperishable food for Harvest House," Humphrey said. "Through her efforts, our shelves were filled and bellies in the area were filled."

She said Jacksonville realtor John Newton and his real estate team have sponsored the currently scheduled 12 serving nights for this year, which they are so thankful for. She added local businesses, like Family First Property Management and Sandlin's Inc. have also held collection drives, which are key to their ability to help their neighbors.

Betsy's Hairstyling in downtown Richlands will also be collecting blankets for them throughout January, which Humphrey said will allow Harvest House to be prepared for the next cold snap.

"As we continue to grow and help our community, our needs will continue to grow, so every bit of assistance helps," Humphrey said.

Upcoming events include a barbeque plate fundraiser/vendor event on March 18, a chicken plate fundraiser in April, a Panda Express fundraiser in March and so much more.

For more information, Humphrey said they keep their upcoming fundraisers and wishlists handy at https://linktr.ee/overflowcafe. You can also visit Overflow Cafe online, on Facebook or call 910-430-2515.

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@jdnews.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Richlands nonprofit finishes strong 2022. Here's what's coming in 2023 and how to get involved