For the Food Bank’s staff and board, 2023 has been a year of building. Building more
effective and efficient food distribution infrastructure. Building our commitment to equity.
Building on the strategic framework that will help us reach our shared vision of a future
where no one goes hungry in central and eastern North Carolina.

We’re building because demand for food assistance continues to rise here in North
Carolina and across the country. Right now, more than 600,000 children, adults, and
seniors throughout our 34-county region don’t know where their next meal might come
from. Families are struggling to make ends meet in the wake of increased food and
housing costs — coupled with the sunset of government support tied to pandemic
emergency funding. And many of our partner pantries, no-cost food markets, and meal
sites report that visits are up as much as 60% over the past year. This on-the-ground
experience tracks with USDA research that shows American communities have faced the
largest year-over-year increase in food insecurity since 2008, at the peak of the Great
Recession.

We’re building our capacity to meet these challenges head on and distribute more fresh,
nutritious food through our partner agency network — including the recent completion
of a new, state-of-the-art facility in Wilmington. These infrastructure improvements at
Food Bank branches, coupled with the expansion of our Pop Up Markets and resources
for culturally familiar produce and pantry staples, are helping to reach communities that
have faced high rates of hunger and low resource investments for far too long.

Through it all, we have worked to hold the experiences of our communities — of people
facing disproportionate hunger and poverty — at the center of every decision we make.
This focus on our neighbors is now formally expressed in our commitment to equity, and
I am incredibly proud of the team that came together to bring this North Star to life.

None of these accomplishments would be possible without your continued partnership.
Through your financial support, volunteerism, and advocacy, our central operations have
shared enough food to fuel nearly 90 million meals over the past year. And together,
piece by piece, we are building solutions that will end hunger for good.

Please read more in our 2023 Impact Report.

Ashley C. McCumber

President & CEO