NEWTON — Ashure Ministry has a new cargo van to expand food-insecurity and crisis-assistance work across Catawba County, the City of Newton said Aug. 7, 2026.
The van was purchased with funding awarded to Newton through the North Carolina Department of Commerce Rural Economic Development Division Community Development Block Grant Program.
Ashure Ministry, formerly Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry, was founded in 1969 to unite local churches and support neighbors in need, the city said. The organization provides emergency assistance, food, and other essential services countywide. In 2025, it served 13,193 people and distributed more than 3.3 million pounds of food.
“This van will help our staff and volunteers collect more donated food from our generous community partners, allowing us to keep our pantry stocked for the thousands of individuals and families we serve each year,” Executive Director Kristal Manning said. “We are grateful to the City of Newton for its continued partnership and for administering the funds that made this vehicle possible. This investment strengthens our ability to steward donated resources and expand our impact throughout Catawba County.”
Newton was awarded $957,612 through the CDBG program. Besides the van, the city said grant funding previously enabled Ashure to buy a walk-in cooler and freezer. The grant also supported projects for In My Father’s House Community Support Services Network and The Corner Table, and a portion paid to install public Wi-Fi in city facilities.
“We’re proud to support Ashure Ministry’s vision of a community where every person has what they need to be nourished and to thrive,” Mayor Jerry T. Hodge said. “We thank them for their service to Newton and Catawba County, and we’re grateful to HUD and the State Department of Commerce for awarding Newton the funds to provide this meaningful use of transportation.”
The city said the funds were awarded to North Carolina by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the CARES Act for COVID-19 health and economic impacts, and that the North Carolina COVID Program supports projects critical to localities and primarily for low- and moderate-income residents.
Newton thanked Commerce, HUD, and Western Piedmont Council of Governments staff, particularly Senior Special Projects Manager Sherry Griffin, for help administering the grant. More information on Ashure is at www.ashureministry.org.
The Aug. 7 notice does not list the van’s purchase price as a separate figure inside the $957,612 award.
Official release from City of Newton, Aug. 7, 2026. https://www.newtonnc.gov/rotating_stories_detail_T2_R1613.php
