GREENSBORO, N.C. — According to Feeding America, 1 in 5 children and 1 in 7 adults struggled with hunger in North Carolina before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. Now, due to the health crisis, about 1 in 3 children and 1 in 5 adults are facing hunger.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina is continuing the fight against hunger. Each day, the nonprofit works with retail grocers, farmers, food manufacturers, processors, and more to make sure no one goes hungry.
On Thursday, the nonprofit is partnering with other local organizations to provide and distribute 90,000 boxes of meals to families in need in the Greater Greensboro area. The heartwarming initiative comes after The Joseph M. Bryan Foundation donated $200,000 to the food bank.
“This significant investment from the Bryan Foundation will help Second Harvest Food Bank provide over 179,000 meals for community members in need across Greater Greensboro,” said Eric Aft, CEO for the regional food bank. “Collaborations like this one are critical to ensuring that all families can access the healthy food they need, despite their economic circumstances.”
Second Harvest serves 18 counties in North Carolina. In each area, local partnering organizations are experiencing a significant increase in requests for food assistance, with 45 percent of the individuals they are serving seeking food assistance for the first time.
The early arrival of school closures effectively doubled the “summer break” for children and the urgent challenges this brings for parents who, even in better times, struggle to provide enough food for their children. With families scrambling to stay afloat, Second Harvest and their on-the-ground partner pantries are responding with urgency to the needs of area residents.
“We are pleased, thanks to Mr. Bryan, to have the resources to help,” said Jim Melvin, President & CEO, Joseph M. Bryan Foundation.
You can get involved in the fight against hunger by becoming a volunteer. You can also host or participate in a virtual food drive. To learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank or ways to support the organization, click here.