Local hub distributed 8.7+ million meals as food insecurity hit 15-year high
Community leaders gathered at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina (the Food Bank) in Wilmington this week to mark the one-year anniversary of the nCino Hunger Solutions Center. Opened in 2023 after a community-led fundraising campaign, the center has distributed more than 8.7 million meals (10.4 million pounds) to local organizations in its first year of operation.
The local event comes as new research shows a worsening hunger crisis Down East and across the state, with food insecurity levels at their highest point since the Great Recession. Here in the Food Bank’s Wilmington Branch service area of Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, and Pender counties, more than 76,000 people are now food insecure, including nearly 18,500 children. That means 1 in 7 of us are now unsure where our next meal might come from — and the challenges are far deeper in Black and Latine/Hispanic communities that have faced systemic barriers for generations.
“We haven’t seen this level of hunger since the Great Recession, and the demand for food assistance is at an all-time high. Thanks to this community’s generous support, we’ve been able to meet these challenges head on — increasing both the volume and variety of fresh, nutritious food available to neighbors facing hunger.”
– Beth Gaglione, Director of Regional Development
In addition to the one-year Hunger Solutions Center anniversary, area leaders celebrated important milestones for the Food Bank’s groundbreaking Commercial Kitchen. Co-located at the 1000 Greenfield Street distribution center with support from Food Lion Feeds, the kitchen produces fully prepped, ready-to-heat meals that are available year-round to local families, especially in response to natural disasters. The facility also trains students from local community colleges on culinary fundamentals — offering the real-life experience needed to work in commercial kitchens.
“Thanks to our partnership with Food Lion Feeds, we’re not only able to provide thousands of grab-and-go meals during major storms and floods — we can provide these meals year-round to programs supporting kids and seniors in the area. And along the way, we’re able to offer a wonderful springboard alongside Cape Fear Community College to people seeking jobs in the local culinary scene. This kitchen has become a cornerstone of our work in the region.”
– Gideon Adams, Vice President of Community Health & Engagement
Rounding out the services offered at the nCino Hunger Solutions Center is the newly opened no-cost Market on Greenfield. Launched with the support of local residents who faced challenges accessing food following the loss of the neighborhood’s only grocery store, the market offers fresh fruits, vegetables, pantry staples and ready-to-eat meals — all within walking distance. In the few short weeks since its grand opening, the Market on Greenfield has provided enough food to fuel more than 15,000 meals at no cost to community members.
“The Hunger Solutions Center has grown to become an incredible asset for the community. And we couldn’t be more proud of the work we are doing together to help end hunger and poverty in Wilmington and beyond.”
– Pierre Naudé, nCino CEO
Despite mounting challenges, it is important for people facing hunger to know that food remains available to all who need it — and the Hunger Solutions Center supports more than 140 pantries, no-cost food markets, meal sites and delivery programs in the area. Find locations near you, along with resources to sign up for SNAP (food stamps), WIC, and senior meal programs.
For those of us who are in a position to give, it has never been more important to get involved in the fight to end hunger and its root causes. Thanks to longtime partnerships with farmers, manufacturers, and retailers, the Food Bank can provide five meals for every dollar donated — far more than any of us could purchase as an individual consumer. And time is equally important; in the average volunteer shift, a single person will sort and pack enough food to fuel more than 160 meals for local families.
