Black History and the Fight to End Hunger

The Food Bank works with over 700 food assistance sites across our 34-county service area by providing food to stock pantry shelves, including fresh produce grown by local farmers. 

Our 6 branches serve as distribution hubs within our network. Food Bank partner agencies form the backbone of our hunger relief efforts by hosting food distributions directly for the community. 

We recently visited our partner agency, Community of Hope, as they were filming a WRAL interview about the work they are doing to provide food assistance in Garner and beyond. In 2025, Community of Hope gave over 600,000 meals to 29,000 neighbors! At their food pantry, neighbors can shop for the products they need like a grocery store or attend a monthly drive-thru distribution. 

Amy White, the Executive Director of Community of Hope Ministries, leads a team of dedicated volunteers whose aim is to provide a week's worth of food for each individual who visits their pantry. For some neighbors, this food can stretch even further. Ms. Barbara Winston, a senior on a fixed income, told WRAL that her meals can last a month. After visiting Community of Hope for over a decade, volunteers know Barbara's favorite food and are eager to pack meals she enjoys. Barbara walked WRAL through the food pantry to share what she loves about Community of Hope. Her playful humor was a delight to the WRAL team. 

I can tell you that nobody goes away hungry. That is the first thing we tell volunteers: nobody goes away hungry. 

– Roxann Landsdowne Mother Hubbard's Cupboard Chair of the Board

We try to make our vegetables and our produce look like a grocery store. And the dignity of choice, I can't say enough about that. Barbara [can] come in and choose, and not be overwhelmed, and [...] have things that are first quality.  

– Amy White Executive Director of Community of Hope Ministries in an interview with WRAL