\u201cI love it because it brings unity. It brings fellowship and it just brings positive vibes,\u201d Mapp said at the event. \u201cGiving back to the community is my purpose. That’s what makes me feel whole as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mapp, in purple, poses with community members at Southside Community Center’s kitchen. <\/p>\n
Her work comes at an important time. Grocery prices have increased by 29%<\/a> in the last five years. In Western North Carolina, a place where hunger is common, food banks were already stretched thin before Hurricane Helene. Now they\u2019re seeing record high demand<\/a> at the same time that many are losing federal funding.<\/p>\n Andrea Jiles and her son, Samuel, stopped by the event on Saturday afternoon and walked away with two massive Butterball turkeys. They\u2019re preparing for a meal of six which is an expensive undertaking, because the prices at the grocery store have been \u201ctotally ridiculous,\u201d Jiles said.<\/p>\n The free turkeys take a lot of the stress out of the holidays, she said. Her son will cook the turkey on the grill and Andrea will make the fixins\u2019 from scratch: greens, macaroni, stuffing and potato salad. The second turkey she picked up will remain tucked away in her freezer until next month\u2019s Christmas dinner.<\/p>\n Mapps\u2019 former teammate, Reid, said Mapp has always looked out for others, so she\u2019s not surprised to see her cooking up community aid.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody always talks about how athletes are competitive, but Ronda has this spirit about her where she’s always striving for something greater,\u201d she said. \u201cShe\u2019s always had this motherly feel about her.\u201d<\/p>\n Kim Acree, a single mom of four, is another person who picked up a turkey at Saturday\u2019s event. She works two jobs and stopped by before a shift at Harrah\u2019s Cherokee Center. For Acree, Mapps\u2019 annual homecoming is \u201ca blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor her to take the time out and to do this for the people, the community and just show that, you know, she cares and to bless everyone. Everyone should be thankful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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