Jadee Gilley will be celebrating her fourteenth birthday in a few days. In pursuing what has become a passion for the Pilot Mountain teenager, much of her focus for the day will again be on meeting the needs of those around her.
Two years ago, for her twelfth birthday, Gilley had spent the day volunteering with Maranatha Homeless Outreach. Maranatha is a local organization that meets regularly to pass out prepared meals and other items to anyone with need.
On that day in early 2019, she had assisted in passing out fruit from the group’s regular position in a parking lot at the intersection of West Pine Street and North South Street in Mount Airy. As she watched people eagerly claim and enjoy pieces of fruit, some of which was past its prime, she was moved by the need she was unexpectedly…