Reflecting on our 40th Anniversary

Food Bank - 40 Years; Fortieth Anniversary Logo
2020 marks the Food Bank’s 40th anniversary of serving communities with food for daily nourishment, supplies during disasters, programs that serve families, and education. As our founders did in 1980, with just a card table and a telephone, we continue to work every day to ensure no one goes hungry. Today, we provide these resources and services in more than a third of our state.

We are honored and humbled to be trusted stewards of the resources and relationships that allow us to operate, serving people facing hunger when they need it most. It is truly thanks to all of you- our partners in ending hunger– and the dedicated work of our staff that we’ve made progress in meeting people where they are to get the services they need.

Together, we will continue the work of nourishing people, building solutions to hunger, and empowering communities to ensure that we won’t have to be doing this work 40 years from now.

How the Food Bank has made an impact over 40 years:

Black and White; Ribbon cutting at Food Bank Opening Ceremony in 1980

1980

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, then called Community Food Bank of NC, opened in Cary, becoming the first Food Bank in the state.

Exterior of Sandhills Branch. Black & white photo of paneled building with white sign reading Food Bank

1981

The Sandhills Branch opened.

Black and White; Woman labeling a can of yams in 1982

1982

The Food Bank distributed its one millionth pound of food.

Black and White; 3 People walk through new warehouse surrounded by stacked boxes in 1983

1983

The Food Bank moved to a 10,000 square foot facility on Sunrise Avenue in Raleigh.

Second Harvest Logo

1984

Became a member of Second Harvest (now Feeding America).

News Reporter Interviewing 2 Volunteers at first Heart of the Carolinas food drive

1986

ABC11 held the first Heart of Carolina food drive, now ABC11 Together Food Drive.

Black and white photo; Man pulling pallet jack stacked with boxes through a warehouse in 1990

1990

The Food Bank moved to a 36,000 square foot facility on Beryl Road in Raleigh.

Box filled with non-perishables including soup, apple sauce, and peanut butter

1990

The Food Bank distributed its 20 millionth pound of food.

2 individuals sitting in large boxes filled to the brim with cans

1993

The first Hunger Relief Day at the NC State Fair collected more than 200,000 pounds of food.

5 individuals gathered in a small pantry surrounded by bins of produce and shelved staple items

1995

The Food Bank partnered with its 500th partner agency.

Crowd of people seated in front of a dedication ceremony at the Jack and Mary Hofler Building - Balloons and boxes of food line the stage

1997

The Food Bank moved to a 40,000 square foot facility on Tarheel Drive, where it stayed for almost 20 years.

A bridge broken into pieces scattered around a river bank.

1999

The Food Bank distributed more than 5.4 million pounds of food for Hurricane Floyd disaster relief.

3 girls smiling at a Kids Cafe

1999

The Kids Cafe Program, an after-school program for children at risk of hunger, launched throughout the Food Bank’s 34-county service area.

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