If your school community came together to raise meals for our food-insecure neighbors, how many people could you feed? Find out!

Last year schools (daycare-college) collectively raised 341,548 meals. This year due to COVID-19, the food insecurity rate in our service area has risen by an estimated 38% — meaning Students Against Hunger is more important than ever.

This year’s competition is entirely virtual! We have a brand new Virtual Food Drive system that we’re excited for everyone to use.

What You Need to Know:

• Dates: Collect and donate food and funds anytime between Thursday, October 15th through Friday, December 4th.
• New Platform: We have a new user-friendly platform that gives you the power to create and customize your page. You can share this link with teachers, students, parents, friends, family, and school alumni. Donations made online are received immediately by our Food Bank, and you will know how much your team has raised in real-time. Every dollar donated is equal to 5 meals!
•  Donation Drop-Offs: Although we are not emphasizing physical food drives, we will still accept donations made in this fashion. Food and funds must get dropped off at one of our branches during business hours Monday-Friday. Due to limited resources, we are not able to offer a Saturday drop-off date. Please ensure to record the weight of your donation (or cash amount) and report back to me for tracking purposes. 

To-Do List:

• Explore! Our Just Giving peer to peer platform is a tool that can help excite your school. You can hold physical challenges, team challenges, live stream events, or do your own thing.
• Be Social! Tag us @FoodBankCENC in your social media posts and use the hashtags #StudentsAgainstHunger and #NoOneGoesHungry!

We all know the feeling of warmth, security, and belonging that comes from being around a meal with family. This year, we’re asking you to help us provide hope for the holidays. 

2020 has been especially devastating for many of our already vulnerable friends and neighbors. The 38% increase in need in our service area due to COVID-19 means now more than ever we want the families we support to have enough healthy and nutritious food this holiday season. Help us provide hope and ensure the families we serve have what they need to enjoy a warm, safe, and happy holiday season with their loved ones.

Visit foodbankcenc.org/hope to make a MATCHED donation and provide hope with a warm meal for 2x as many people in need this holiday season. 

Moved by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, generous friends of the Food Bank have created the largest match pot in our 40 year history: $292,000! We need you to give what you are able, by December 31, so that we can reach the full match potential — providing balanced meals and hope to neighbors across our service area.

Thank you to our Holiday Meals Match Sponsors!

Other ways you can help the Food Bank meet the increased need:

1. Involve your friends – Want to mobilize your neighborhood, church group, or family? Holding a Virtual Food Drive is a great way to help – while practicing social distancing. Visit foodbankcenc.org/vfd to get started!
2. Donate time – If you are a healthy adult and want to volunteer, you can self-schedule a shift at foodbankcenc.org/volunteer. Current volunteer sessions are being kept much smaller than traditional volunteer groups to best accommodate social distancing. We are also limiting volunteering to ages 18-60 at this time, to best protect vulnerable populations.
3. Donate food – We’re always in need of the types of shelf-stable items that you pick up for your own family: things like peanut butter, canned tuna fish and chicken, soup, pasta, and canned fruits and veggies.  Visit https://foodbankcenc.org/get-involved/host-a-food-fund-drive/ to get more information!

Shop with our partners below to support the Food Bank this holiday season!

Food Lion- Holiday Boxes 

• Give hope for the holidays! Visit your local Food Lion to purchase and donate a $5 food box or make a cash donation at the register November 11-December 15 to help provide meals for your neighbors in need. Visit foodlion.com/feeds to learn more.

Dewey’s Gift & Give Campaign

• During Dewey’s Gift & Give Campaign 50% of your purchase will be donated to the Food Bank!  Visit https://www.deweys.com/foodbankcentraleastern to learn more and pick out some delicious treats!

Lowes Foods- Friends Feeding Friends

• This Holiday Season you can support the Food Bank by participating in Lowes Foods Friends Feeding Friends program by purchasing pre-packaged donation bags of non-perishable Lowes Foods items, buying and giving non-perishable food items to in-store donation bins, or providing cash donations.  This campaign will run through December 29, 2020.  Visit https://www.lowesfoods.com/en/Community/Friends-Feeding-Friends to learn more.

Harris Teeter- Round-Up Campaign

• This Holiday Season you can support the Food Bank by donating at participating Harris Teeters during their  Harvest Feast Round Up Campaign from Nov. 18 – Dec. 29, 2020.  Visit https://www.harristeeter.com/round-up to learn more.

Kendra Scott- Giving Tuesday Give Back Event 

• On Giving Tuesday on 12/1 shop at Kendra Scott in Southpoint Mall in Durham, NC between 4-6pm and 20% of your purchase will be donated to the Food Bank.  Click HERE to RSVP for the event.
• Want to support from home? Use code GIVEBACK-0BF9 on KendraScott.com on December 1st or 2nd, and 20% of your online purchase will be donated as well!

Want to add your give-back promotion to this page? Click here to view our Cause Marketing Guidelines and learn more about how your brand can support our Food Bank. Please email Tessa Johnson at tjohnson@foodbankcenc.org with questions or to learn more.

News Channel 12 will be broadcasting live from Piggly Wiggly stores in the Food Bank’s eastern service area each day from Monday, November 30 – Friday, December 4, 2020 from 11am-7pm. News anchors, Food Bank staff, and volunteers will be at each site accepting donations for our friends and neighbors in the Greenville and New Bern Service area just in time for the holidays!

Locations & Schedule:

MONDAY, Nov 30  – Williamston #76 – 912 Washington St. Williamston, NC 27892

TUESDAY, Dec 1  – Wallace #86  – 209 N Norwood St, Wallace, NC 28466

WEDNESDAY, Dec 2 – Richlands #57 – 406 Richlands Hwy. Richlands, NC, 28574

WEDNESDAY, Dec 2 – Swansboro – 715 W Corbett Ave, Swansboro, NC 28584

THURSDAY, Dec 3 – Kinston #33 – 2240 Hwy 258 N. Kinston, NC, 28504

FRIDAY, Dec 4 – New Bern # 28 – 1208 Simmons St, New Bern, NC 28560