June 9, 2008

New site to save gasoline on north, northwest routes

Friendship Trays Monday opened a new facility on Beatties Ford Road where drivers serving north and northwest Charlotte routes will pick up their meals -- cutting their travel and saving some $4.00-a-gallon gasoline.

Friendship Trays will continue to cook and package meals at South End, but will transport the route bags to space at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. At the site, Friendship Trays has installed a walk-in refrigerator and freezer, where the meals will be kept cool until drivers pick them up.

Below left, the refrigerator was mostly empty Monday as the first five routes were transferred to Friendship. Volunteer Coordinator Lani Lawrence expects about two dozen routes to be delivered out of Friendship Trays when all transfers are complete.

Executive Director Lucy Bush Carter, below right, took the first stint Monday as distributor, transporting the meals, opening the building and preparing to greet volunteers. Distributor duties will be borne by volunteers and staff five days a week.

Friendship Trays uses a number of drop sites near routes to conserve gas and save volunteers' time. The largest site outside South End at the moment is at Levine Senior Center in Matthews. Others are at churches and an area business.

Expansion to a Beatties Ford Road site was first discussed by the Friendship Trays board more than three years ago. Planning for the project at Friendship Missionary Baptist has been under way for more than two years. Contractor Sherwood Lapping began renovating the church site for Friendship Trays' use last October.