Since COVID-19 hit, Mount Zion Restoration Church and its Bountiful Blessings Food Pantry have stepped up to help thousands of families in Gaston County put food on the table.
Monday morning both organizations suffered their own tragedy when fire destroyed the refrigerated trailer the pantry uses to store food. A powerline fell across the food trailer, setting it on fire, said Mount Zion Pastor Rodney Freeman on Tuesday. Gastonia firefighters responded to a fire call Monday morning at the church to find the trailer engulfed in flames, along with a downed power line that had been burned in half, according to reports. Officials reported the fire began when a tree branch above the trailer broke, came in contact with a power line and ignited in flames.
Luckily, Freeman said the church had not received a food shipment for this week's pantry donation though he called the loss of the trailer a major setback.