Black History and the Fight to End Hunger

Last month, the Food Bank joined our friends at Food Lion to deliver an unforgettable surprise. At Feed The Pack Food Pantry, dozens of supporters waited silently for Alyssa Griffin to enter the room. Alyssa leads a team of staff and student leaders to serve thousands of meals to NC State students each year. 

As Alyssa entered the pantry, she was greeted with enthusiastic applause and an important award: the 2026 FEEDYS Lion Heart Volunteer Award! Food Lion also gave 10,000 meals to continue Feed The Pack's mission to meet the food needs of NC State's Community with dignity and respect. 

While wearing a brilliant red dress, Alyssa beamed with pride while holding flowers given by Food Lion. Her dedication to ending hunger could be seen by all. Under Alyssa's leadership, Feed The Pack expanded its operations to serve over 300 students, staff, and faculty each month! Located inside the Pack Essentials Hub, Feed The Pack is open three days a week during the summer and four days a week during the academic year. 

Feed The Pack is set up like a typical convenience store with shelves of produce and nonperishable items, along with fridges stocked with meat, bread, and sweets. Visitors can shop like a normal grocery store after filling out an intake form and checking in. 

We're having an increase of 32 to 35 people a day. That just started a couple of weeks ago. And the food stamps have been changed. So peopel are hungry. They don't have the money to go and buy this and that...Either you buy your medicine, or buy gas, or buy food. 

– Hilda Royal Hands On Humanity Food Pantry Director

As a PhD student, Alyssa dedicates significant time to supervising volunteers, scheduling food pickups, and ensuring food safety and inventory standards. She's seen the need for food assistance firsthand. 30% of NC State students experience food insecurity. Some are international students without food plans in a country they have never known. Others may have family who are unable to support them financially. No matter what the reason, Alyssa's team greets pantry visitors with care. 

Some team members once received food from the pantry. Program Associate Shishira Puttaswamy relied on Feed The Pack when she was an international student at NC State. Now, she welcomes visitors with the same kindness she received as a student. 

Alyssa embraces her team's lived experiences and creates an environment where people can be their most authentic selves. Shishira names Alyssa as a reason Feed The Pack feels like a family more than a workplace. After a whirlwind of photos, interviews, and fanfare, Alyssa sat on the floor with her Feed The Pack team, sharing the moment with the people who make her work possible. 

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