FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 1, 2021
CONTACT: Stephanie Bowen, Executive Director –
sbowen@staging.hurt-cushion.flywheelsites.com
Brunswick Family Assistance Celebrates 40-Year Anniversary of Helping our Neighbors in Need!
What is now well known in Brunswick County as Brunswick Family Assistance (BFA) Agency, began as the Volunteer Information Center in 1981. The purpose of the Volunteer Information Center was to provide information on volunteer opportunities in Brunswick County. Due to the harsh reality of an increasing poverty rate in the county, the organization started seeing an influx of requests coming from those who needed help.
With limited funding and needs rising, the staff and volunteers quickly realized there was a gap in services that needed to be filled. From this realization, the beginning stages of community-based service programs were set in motion. These programs would soon become a familiar comfort for those seeking assistance in Brunswick County. In 1998, the agency was incorporated and the familiar Brunswick Family Assistance Agency name was born.
Over the years the need for assistance has continued to grow and so have the programs offered by the organization. BFA now offers a wide variety of coordinated programs and services to meet the needs of their community. These programs include two emergency food pantries located in Shallotte and Leland; financial assistance for rent, utilities, prescriptions, emergency shelter, transportation, etc.; monthly “commodities” food distributions; a back to school book bag program; an annual “Angel Tree” Christmas program; a summer food program for children and many more.
BFA is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families in crisis in Brunswick County, who are willing to help themselves, by providing emergency assistance, educational and skills development programs. As they celebrate 40 years of service, they remember all the poor and destitute, elderly and sick, families and individuals who rely on their programs to make ends meet. With your support, they hope to have many more years of providing these critical, life sustaining programs to ensure that everyone in our community has access to a nutritional supply of food, water and adequate resources to sustain themselves.
“On behalf of the BFA’s Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and most importantly, the clients we serve, thank you for believing in our mission for the last 40 years! It is only with the support and kindness of our community that we can meet the needs of those living in poverty,” said Stephanie Bowen, BFA Executive Director.
If you would like to donate to their 40-Year Anniversary campaign, you can mail a check to P.O. Box 1551 Shallotte, NC 28459 or call their office at (910) 754-4766 to make a credit card donation. They also have many volunteer opportunities which can be found on their website, www.staging.hurt-cushion.flywheelsites.com under the “volunteer” tab.
