'Adopt-A-Granny' volunteer delivery service for seniors doubles in size throughout Cumberland County
HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Hope Mills ministry's COVID-19 outreach to ensure senior citizens are getting critical supplies continues to expand across Cumberland County.
Scotty Sweatt, founder of the mobile SonRise Outreach Ministry, started the "Adopt-A-Granny" outreach as soon as he realized there were senior citizens in his community who were afraid to go shopping for groceries.
'Adopt-A-Granny:' Fayetteville ministry starts grocery delivery service for seniors amid COVID-19
In March, Sweatt started taking down his neighbor's grocery list and purchasing items for those individuals.
He eventually got his ministry involved and became a regular helper for around eight senior citizens.
Since then, he, along with 11 other volunteers within SonRise, are helping around 16 people, including those dealing with underlying health conditions that make them high-risk for COVID-19.
In expanding the reach of their help, Sweatt was able to meet the Ondeck family in the Gray's Creek area.
The family has three special needs children, including 5-year-old Bailey, whose birthday was on Monday.
Bailey was born with an underdeveloped brain which has led to the little girl dealing with a long list of health complications.
Sweatt, wanting to make Bailey's birthday special, decided to gather his volunteers and hold a mobile birthday party for the 5-year-old on Monday evening.
"You know, we're going to go where the opportunities are left. We're not going to say just because it's 'Adopt-A-Granny', if somebody that had a need, we're not going to take care of them," Sweatt said.
The outreach has branched out across Cumberland County, helping people in, "Hope Mills, Gray's Creek, the southwestern part of the county, like out towards Rockfish and the Hoke County border. Off the Ramsey Street area and now, Wade and Eastover".
The outreach picks up the critical items, making sure to properly sanitize them before they drop them off at an individual's front porch.
Sweatt told ABC11 that they're about to partner with a local church to gain access to its food bank.
This will allow them to offer more free meals and groceries to those financially struggling.
