Our Statement on USDA Elimination of Vital Hunger Data

Every pantry I visit, without fail, someone brings up Food Lion. A story about an associate who went above and beyond. A load of protein that showed up right when they needed it. A relationship that feels real, not transactional. That’s the kind of partnership Food Lion built with us. We are so grateful for the work Food Lion does every single day to end hunger in our community. 

– Amy Beros Food Bank President & CEO

Kathryn Allen first learned of the Food Bank in the early 2000s as an instructor at Wake Tech.  

“We did holiday food drives with the students, and so that’s probably the first time I heard about the Food Bank."

It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that she decided to become a sustaining donor, after realizing many of her students couldn't work because of the shutdown. 

“A lot of them worked in the food industry. Some of them cut hair or did various jobs that they couldn’t work during that time." 

This is when she realized there was a greater need in the community. She decided to donate financially to give back to the local community.  

“I knew [the Food Bank] did a good job, so I figured this would be a good way for me to contribute to not only my students but other people as well."

She started by donating $10 a quarter.  

“I think I went online, and it just got drafted out of my account, and I honestly didn’t think about it after a while."

However, after touring the Food Bank, she knew she wanted to increase her contribution.  

It gave me a lot of confidence that the money that I’m giving is actually really directly supporting the people that I hope to support.

– Kathryn Allen Food Bank Monthly Sustainer

Kathryn hopes her donation lets families know that the community is supporting them.  

"None of us can survive without food. Being able to have support in the community is something I think is really essential."

It’s what keeps her coming back to give, and she encourages others to do the same, no matter how big or small the contribution.  

“I think sometimes people feel like they don’t have a lot that they can donate or they can’t donate every month and so they don’t donate at all."

However, she emphasized that even the smallest contribution can go a long way. In fact, for every $1 donated, the Food Bank can provide three meals for children, seniors, and families across 34 counties.  

In addition to donating, she also encourages the community to visit the Food Bank and “get to know the work.”