Page 21 - Harnett Life Summer 2021

MHOT founder Janett Rod

ated in Fuquay and its sequel store, Little Mama’s, in Willow and emergencies, like in the instance “when we furnished the
Springs. While thrift has always been the name of the game entire home of a fire victim,” she said and does not provide fi-
for this nonprofit, the means to the ends of “helping people get nancial assistance or help with gas, rent, utilities or other areas.
back on their feet and avoid homelessness,” the program for-
merly ran a food bank that distributed food from its doors and Services they do offer include Senior Wednesdays with 10%
made deliveries in the tri-county area, said Rod. discounts for adults 55 and older hosting periodic, free dental
checkups and services in partnership with Carolina Orthodon-
With closing the original Mama’s House and Little Mama’s tics & Children’s Dentistry, offering free pet health services in
and merger into the new Lillington location, the food program collaboration with local veterinarians, free mental health ser-
has been modified — now called FB21 or Food Benefits 21st vices and counseling on-site and free beauty care for women
century — and new services have been added, innovations all complete with makeovers for women — sometimes mother/
very exciting for Rod. daughter events — as MHOT networks with a new cosmetic
company. This latter program works in the way that for every
“Now,” she shared in a blog post at https://mamashouseofthrift. cosmetic item purchased, one will be given to a woman in need
com/, “instead of us purchasing food, storing it in a food bank that could not otherwise afford beauty products and “to help
and giving it to the clients, they will shop for their food, and with self-esteem, attitude and life skills such as job interview
when they get to the register, they never pay. If mom needs preparation,” said Rod.
milk for her babies, if grandpa needs Ensure, if grandma has al-
lergies to gluten, the program will fulfill their nutritional/health All that plus Christmas and Thanksgiving assistance — think
needs. For those that cannot leave their homes due to disabili- toys and turkey on steroids — and a birthday program soon to
ties (or special needs), MHOT will shop for them and deliver roll out to boot from a community servant who works full time
the food to their homes.” outside of this mission — her true passion in life.

Another way the program helps is by filling in the gaps where Rod started the nonprofit in response to her own childhood pov-
government assistance stops. “For example, let’s say a family erty, hunger and the crises she faced beginning at age 6. Such
gets $80 a month in food stamps, but they cannot buy toiletries, conditions, she said, “hurts and scars deeply as a child and lives
shampoo, diapers and so forth with those food stamps, as you within you as an adult forever.” Her background compelled her
know, but they are unemployed. The guidelines triggered by to act. “This is the reason I want to help make a difference. This
their situation let us know what amount is needed to get what is the reason I have a vision for helping others that have young
they can’t get and what is missing,” she explained. “We try to children that are struggling the same. Thanks to good-hearted
help in those spaces, too.” strangers, those beautiful people I will never know who they
were that donated to those food banks and thrift missions that
Open five days a week, Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to helped my family and me, we made it through. So now, I would
7 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 5, Mama’s House of Thrift like to give back and help others the way I was helped.”
exclusively assists needy families with food, clothing, shoes

Harnett Life ~ Summer 2021 Page 21