By Caitlin Cohn, Retail Program Supervisor There are many parts of my job as the Retail Program Supervisor that I find rewarding, but nothing is more rewarding than days when our retail partners, Food Bank CENC staff, and a hardworking agency come together to feed those in need within our community. On September 20th and…
By Jennifer Caslin, Communications Supervisor You may remember that the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina received a grant last summer from the Allstate Foundation (through Feeding America), to develop a joint disaster plan with the Food Bank of the Albemarle. (You can check out that blog post here.) The point of…
By Lindsay Humbert, Digital Media Specialist When the summer heat (finally!) starts to break, that means one thing in North Carolina: Back to School. In the hunger relief world, we know that’s a good thing. Nearly 300,000 children in our 34-county service area rely on the free and reduced-cost meals at school to get them…
This summer marks the eighth year that the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has administered Kids Summer Meals programs. We work together with partner agencies across our 34-county service territory to ensure that children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations when they do not have access…
By Caitlin Cohn, Retail Program Supervisor and Lindsay Humbert, Digital Media Specialist The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is proud to report that our very own Food Resources Manager, Carter Crain, has won the 2016 Eastern Region Food Sourcing Leader of the Year award! Carter was honored at the 2016 Food Sourcing…
By Dave Minnich, Food Bank Volunteer and NetApp Employee 5:25 AM: My alarm goes off for the first time… UGH! I know many folks are early risers, but I am definitely not one of them. But today is different. Today is the day of the Kids Summer Meals packing event at NetApp RTP! Kids Summer…
By Gideon Adams, Senior Manager of Programs and Outreach “I’m Sarah and I am in the 4th grade. I do well in school and have lots of friends. Usually, I am very outgoing but lately I am quiet and nervous. There are only a few more weeks of school and I am not looking forward…
As the coordinator of a food pantry in rural eastern North Carolina, Dianne Andrews meets a lot of seniors living on small fixed incomes. But one story has stuck with her. One day Dianne got a call from her Aunt, who knew of an older adult who wasn’t eating anything because she couldn’t afford more…
By Zach Nissen, Food & Nutrition Services Outreach Coordinator When I travel across the Food Bank’s 34 county service area, I hear a lot of “No.” Do you receive food stamps? No. Do you want to see if you’re eligible for them? No. As a Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) Outreach Coordinator at the Food…
Grandparents hold a special place in our heart, especially when it comes to food. Many of us have memories of grandma’s cooking, always delicious and made with love. Grandmas around the world have served as sources of never-ending culinary knowledge, using their skills and family recipes to feed the people in their care. As their…
Throughout the school year, the Food Bank manages our Kids Cafe program, which is an after-school program that offers tutoring, nutrition education, mentoring and nutritious meals to children at risk of hunger. Each Kids Cafe site is operated in partnership with a respected community agency to provide the attention and accountability needed to ensure quality…
By Mari Carl Duffer, Food Resource Coordinator One of our volunteers once said to me, “Farming ain’t for wimps.” Ain’t that the truth! After spending three years farming with a small nonprofit, I know the hard work farmers put into growing their crops. I know what it takes to feed a community. Across central and…
What motivates people to volunteer? Many feel compassion, a sense of community, and a desire to give to those less fortunate than themselves. We are continually in awe of our volunteers as they give up their free time, and instead work hard to help someone they will likely never meet. So you can imagine our amazement when…
By Ilina Ewen, Social Media Ambassador for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC When I was little and didn’t finish my dinner, my parents would tell me about the starving children in India. I would push my plate away and petulantly exclaim, “Put this in an envelope and mail it to them!” I…
Kelly was in a dire situation when she drove into the parking lot of Community Helpers, one of our partner agencies in Knightdale. Fighting cancer for the fourth time, she just endured a surgery that left her barely able to walk. She had a disabled child and grandchildren at home who needed to eat. She had nothing to give them…
