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Beth Guidry, House of Raeford Arcadia, LA Sales, Decorates Cookies at Leslie Lakes Retirement Center
Every December, we receive inspiration from those in our communities helping to make the holidays a brighter experience for local residents. With the Christmas season behind us, we wanted to share some of House of Raeford Farms FLOCK’s favorite partnership moments of generosity and kindness.
FLOCK is a unique non-profit with a mission to come alongside people who are already doing good things in our communities and equip them to do more. As a result, we witness the amazing ways people give back in the towns where we live and work.
Many of our FLOCK Christmas outreach activities are driven by employees from House of Raeford Farms. It is so refreshing to have these volunteers step up and bring their creativity, innovative ideas, and hard work into the lives of those in need.
Youth Development
Supporting young people is at the heart of FLOCK’s mission, and this season, we aligned with schools and other youth organizations to ensure the holidays were magical for children:
- Wallace Elementary – for a second year, we contributed resources to create an outdoor Winter Wonderland, a festive event for students and families. “Thanks to House of Raeford FLOCK for supporting our Winter Wonderland, staff Christmas luncheon, and Angel Tree gifts,” shared principal Angelo Cavallaro.
- Greenville YMCA Angel Tree – adopting children’s wish lists, employees at House of Raeford’s Greenville location once again provided toys and clothing helping children enjoy a taste of Christmas joy.
- The Well of Northern Louisiana – our Arcadia, LA FLOCK team supported this local Christmas initiative by donating funds for toys and holiday essentials so families in need could enjoy this special time of the year.
- Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) – located in Arcadia, LA, House of Raeford employees filled gift bags for 100 children who often find themselves in difficult circumstances and need this kind of support during the holidays. This has become an annual outreach for FLOCK.
- Toy Giveaway – our Oglethorpe, GA live production operation continued collecting toys for Macon County Elementary, a lower income area school. This project has been spearheaded by former employee Amy Thompson for several years.
Center: Oglethorpe, GA Employees Linda Teate & April Jones Flanked by School Administrators
Hunger Relief
Food insecurity is a year-round challenge for many, but the holidays often bring added pressure. FLOCK partners throughout the year with organizations who provide meals for families to meet this basic necessity. We believe that food is more than nourishment – it is a way to bring people together and create memories. This holiday season, we joined with food pantries and other benevolent groups to provide fresh chicken for families in our communities.
- Holly Jolly at Town Square – an annual event in Black Mountain, NC, the Holly Jolly community meal is served to local residents. This year, the food could not be prepared by local restaurants that closed due to storm damage. To prevent cancellation of the event, Nash Johnson, son of Company CEO Bob Johnson, and his wife Martha stepped up to provide a meal of chicken and rice for 3,000 people. Joined in this effort by RealWorld Outdoors Ministry and Willing Vessel Ministries, the team came together in a special outreach to the people of this hurricane-affected town.
Nash & Martha Johnson Family
- Free Chapel – Free Chapel, a network of churches in Georgia and South Carolina. House of Raeford donated 240,000 lbs. of chicken to support their outreach efforts to 6,000+ families in five Georgia communities as well as Spartanburg, SC. This has become an annual giving opportunity for the Company.
- Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries – our Wallace, NC operation donated 880 lbs. of chicken as this local ministry collaborated with the Duplin County Health Department in an outreach to food insecure county residents.
- Additional Chicken Donations – to the Caring and Sharing Food Pantry in Hemingway, SC; Shiloh Baptist Church, NC Toy Store and Food Distribution; 480 lbs. from our Vienna location to Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Macon, GA; Duplin County Partnership for Children received 1,000 lbs.; and many more.
Seniors
Our seniors often face isolation during the holidays and are thankful to share some quality time with visitors from our House of Raeford operations. These moments of kindness are about more than gifts – they are about reminding our aging population that they are valued and celebrated.
- Leslie Lakes Retirement Center – hosted a Cookie Decorating event with festive treats and door prizes for the residents of this Arcadia, LA senior residence. We bought sugar cookies from Uptown Downtown Bakery in Ruston, LA and created moments of fun and engagement for these special people.
- Willow Ridge Nursing & Rehabilitation Center – our Arcadia FLOCK team presented each resident of this Arcadia, LA home with an item from their Christmas wish list.
- Gardens of Rose Hill, NC – the Rose Hill location shared a gift of new porch furniture for the facility as well as special care packages packed with a variety of goodies for each appreciative resident.
- Carriage House Senior Living of Taylors, SC – FLOCK provided a special Christmas breakfast to bring residents together in celebration as well as resources to purchase a gift for each person.
- High Cotton Homes – The wonderful employee team at House of Raeford in Vienna, GA, brought smiles to the elderly by gifting heartfelt presents to the residents of this local assisted living home.
Sheena Jones, HR Manager at House of Raeford’s Vienna, GA location
House of Raeford also participated in the excitement of community Christmas parades with a float in the Wallace, NC event carrying the owners of House of Raeford from the Johnson Beasley family. Our West Columbia, SC location was a sponsor of the Cayce-West Columbia Chamber of Commerce Parade of Lights, supporting trolly stops on the parade route around the town.
To every volunteer, partner, and supporter, thank you for your kindness and generosity. It makes the holidays happier for so many of our neighbors. This season may have ended, but FLOCK’s mission continues year-round. Follow House of Raeford Farms FLOCK on social media to stay updated on more good news.
