Market on Greenfield Celebrates One Year Serving Wilmington Families

For every $1 donated, the Food Bank provides enough food to fuel three meals for children, seniors, and working adults throughout our region. So even in today’s challenging economy, your gift goes further with the Food Bank network than anywhere else. 

Working with local farmers, retailers, and manufacturers, we source and distribute truckloads of fresh, versatile, and culturally familiar food — providing more than 100 million meals each year across central and eastern North Carolina. Thanks to this scale and these longstanding partnerships, we’re able to stretch every dollar far beyond what any individual shopper could at the grocery store. 

Rising Need Across Our Communities 

Across North Carolina, more than 1.6 million people face food insecurity. That means one out of every seven neighbors we pass at the grocery store, school, or doctor’s office may not know where their next meal is coming from. It’s the greatest challenge we’ve seen in at least a generation. 

Visits to many local pantries and meal sites are up 60% or more. Families who once donated are now seeking help. Seniors on fixed incomes are making impossible choices between food, medicine, and utilities. Working parents are stretched thin by rising housing and transportation costs. At the same time, cuts to federal agriculture and nutrition programs — along with funding reductions and ongoing state budget uncertainty — have placed even more pressure on community-supported hunger relief networks like ours. 

Charitable food assistance was never designed to replace strong federal programs. But as that support declines, our role becomes even more critical. That’s why local community support has never been more important.  

The Power of Scale, Partnerships & Efficiency 

The Food Bank is among the largest hunger relief networks in the country, made up of more than 700 local pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites, and delivery programs working together to ensure a consistent, reliable food supply for our neighbors. 

Because of decades-long relationships with farmers, retailers, and food manufacturers, we’re able to: 

• Purchase food in bulk at reduced cost
• Invest in fresh, locally grown and raised fruits, vegetables, protein, and dairy products
• Rescue surplus food that might otherwise go to waste
• Distribute product efficiently across 34 counties
• Move food quickly to the communities where it’s needed most  

This collective strength is what allows us to multiply impact. While grocery prices continue to rise, our scale and infrastructure mean that $1 donated helps provide three meals — far more than most individuals could purchase at retail prices. 

Transparency in a Challenging Economy 

Even at our scale, the Food Bank network is not immune to the economic pressures families across the country are facing. Over the past two years, the cost of food, fuel, and utilities has increased significantly. Higher transportation and storage expenses affect hunger-relief systems nationwide — especially at a time when demand is higher than any point in recent memory. 

We remain steadfast in our mission to provide healthy, locally sourced food to families throughout the region. And we are committed to direct, transparent communication about how your support translates into impact. Our partnerships and operational efficiencies allow us to maximize every dollar entrusted to us. Responsible stewardship is central to our work — and to the trust you place in us. 

What You Can Do 

With hunger at a generational high and federal support at record lows, community generosity has never been more important in the fight to ensure every neighbor has access to healthy food. 

There are many ways to make a difference: