Burnsville Recreation and Learning Center hosted its God’s Glorious Bike Ride and a yard sale on Sept. 23.

Carol Smith, director of the BRLC, along with volunteers, came together to host this event in order to raise funds for their community service endeavors.

At 8 a.m., the Kid’s Café department provided breakfast for all of the bikers and volunteers. The event usually has anywhere from 35-40 riders from more than just Anson County — there were some from both Chesterfield and Gaffney, South Carolina. The local bikers coordinated the ride.

“That is what we do here at Burnsville,” said Carol Smith, director at the BRLC, “Everything is done through volunteers. This is a community effort, where there is no paid staff for this event. Everybody does this, because it is their calling.”

The BRLC provides an emergency food pantry outreach every Wednesday at 9 a.m. to those in the community, to give them essential foods necessary to live.

Smith and other volunteers pick up food every day from Food Lion in Marshville, four times a week from Food Lion in Oaksboro, and are connected with the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Smith said that this is as an outreach to families who need food supplements that may be having difficulties obtaining. She said that the people who receive the help may be on fixed incomes, have a lot of medical bills, or just have a lot of things going on.

Volunteers come in every Wednesday at 8 a.m. to separate the food items for the families. The doors open from 9 until 10 a.m.

“They are able to come get food at no charge,” Smith said. “We have it every Wednesday, regardless of the weather.”

The BRLC also provides adult computer skills classes through South Piedmont Community College. Sessions start Saturday at 9 a.m., and run between six and eight weeks. Then they get another round of students.

“We also provide after-school care,” Smith said. “We also provide a summer fun camp for underprivileged children, to make sure they get a good hot meal while they are out of school.”

This past summer, the Center had about 70 children enrolled in its camp. For camp and after-school care, the Center hires teachers; one comes two days a week, while the other comes three.

The BRLC was established in 1994. The volunteers found the old-abandoned building and refurbished it into the Center.

“It’s all of us working together,” Smith said. “It has brought a coming together of people that hadn’t always come together. It has brought about a change in people’s hearts.”

Reach Natalie Davis at 704-994-5471.

Natalie Davis | Anson Record The Kid’s Cafe’ sponsors a breakfast for the bike riders, and Ansonville community.
https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_anson_blrcbreakfast.jpgNatalie Davis | Anson Record The Kid’s Cafe’ sponsors a breakfast for the bike riders, and Ansonville community.

By Natalie Davis

ndavis@ansonrecord.com