![]() In the past, ICM purchased 10 banana boxes of meat each week from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC at a reduced rate. Iredell Christian Ministries, like most food pantries, is struggling to provide fresh and frozen meat to customers. “Today, what we need most is continued strong financial support from our community to allow for continued and expanded investments in bulk food purchases continued advocacy at all levels of government continued strong support for community food and fund drives and continued strong levels of volunteerism, which are the lifeblood of our work,” said Aft. “However, we know it will not make its way to our community until sometime in mid to late 20.” He expects the funding will be meaningful. The Biden Administration and USDA announced a planned investment in emergency food assistance to nation’s food banks, though the level of support is unclear for Second Harvest at present. As always, our team remains stalwart in its commitment to respond,” said Aft.Īft noted some bright spots on the horizon. “Nonetheless, the circumstances are a call to action to our community for their sustained faith in and support of our vital work. Second Harvest reports that government food sources alone will decrease by 4 to 5 million this year.Īft said that almost all additional government assistance programs provided during the height of pandemic are set to fully expire in early October with the “health emergency” being officially declared to be over by Governor Cooper and the federal government.Īt the same time, inflationary forces on families’ core expenses of housing, fuel, and food, which affect low-resourced families disproportionately, are impacting both the number of individuals seeking assistance and Second Harvest’s ability to purchase food at the same levels as in the past. Supply chain challenges continue to impact the quantities and variety of food available to our food bank through our wonderful grocery retail partners,” said Aft. ![]() “There is a sustained, high need for food assistance in our communities. The on-going inflationary environment is presenting very real challenges to food banks, including Second Harvest and the many families, seniors, and others with limited resources that the organization serves. “Inflation, including core expenses of housing, fuel and food that affect low-resourced families disproportionately, are impacting the number of individuals seeking assistance, food available through our wonderful grocery partners and the pantry’s ability to purchase meat at the same levels as in the past.” “I’m generally not a fan of the “Perfect Storm” metaphor,” said Eric Aft, Chief Executive Officer at Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, “but I see it as appropriate at this time, with multiple forces coming together to create a threatening situation with impacts to the health and well-being of families and our communities.” Second Harvest provides food for grocery assistance partners across 18 counties of Northwest North Carolina, including 10 agencies, churches, and organizations in Statesville and North Iredell. "All of these events have come together as a key moment in our history, a stake in the ground for us to look for a future where we can help our community, and that is what it is all about," Wilson said.Editor’s Note: This article and headline have been revised from an earlier version.īY DEBBIE pantries and emergency food assistance organizations across the county and region are experiencing meat shortages on their shelves as supply chain challenges continue to impact the quantities and variety of food available. The executive director also spoke about the next 40 years and looking forward to possibly adding more freezer and refrigeration space to allow for more fresh produce and proteins. He added that the food bank is also looking forward to the potential in helping more individuals, by expanding their current programs and assisting more pantries in rural areas within the 29 counties they already serve. "The creation of an on-site food pantry is something that we've always wanted to do but haven't had the capabilities, so this is something that will be accessible within the next year," Wilson said. ![]() ![]() After the move has been made, HPFB then plans to remodel the former administration area to create an on-site food pantry that community members can utilize. Since its establishment, the food bank has included building updates, replacement of its truck fleet, renovation and addition of freezers, the addition of the community garden and more.Ĭurrently, the food bank is remodeling its administration building to allow all offices to be moved into the space. In the past 40 years since the food bank's establishment in 1982, it has grown to include all 26 counties in the Texas Panhandle, with three additional surrounding counties added in 2008. ![]()
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