Year-round, we activate our disaster response plans in support of communities recovering from major storms.
When severe weather is on the way, the Food Bank is prepared to respond. Delivery trucks and mobile refrigeration units are fueled up; staff and volunteers ready emergency kits; and our production kitchen goes into high gear preparing ready-to-go meals for local families. No matter what a storm may bring, our facilities and team stand ready connect partners throughout our network with nonperishable food, water, and supplies to support impacted communities.
Every storm season brings a long road to recovery. While leaders continue to rebuild the local food assistance infrastructure, our ongoing efforts match products with community-specific needs and distribution capacity.
Resources for Impacted Families
Emergency Financial Assistance
Federal Disaster Assistance programs offer financial support for individuals and businesses. If you’ve been impacted by Helene, be sure to apply online or call 800-621-3362. More than 83,000 neighbors have applied so far, with submissions due November 27.
Food Assistance Sites
Most emergency food assistance sites have reopened across impacted counties — providing meals, nonperishable food, water, and basic necessities to local residents. Locations and hours operation can be found here:
MANNA Food Bank
Including the Qualla Boundary and Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey counties
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
Including Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Iredell, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
Including Anson, Burke, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanley, and Union counties
Hotlines
Essential Resources
Dial 2-1-1 or call 888-892-1162 for shelters, food assistance, welfare checks and additional storm recovery help.
Crisis Clean-up Helpline
Call 844-965-1386 (through October 11) or enter details online
Support for Ongoing Hunger Relief Efforts
We Have Their Backs
With well-practiced emergency plans and storm-hardened infrastructure, we’re able to connect hard-hit communities throughout the state with ready-to-go meals, nonperishable food, water, and other essential supplies — whenever extreme weather strikes.
Disasters create hardship and leave community members vulnerable, especially those who are already food insecure. Our network provides emergency food, water, and other essential resources in the immediate aftermath of a disaster — and we’re able to prioritize longer-term recovery assistance and hope as our communities work to rebuild.
That’s why we’re proud to work with longtime partners like Smithfield Foods to devote proceeds from our annual Hunger Relief Day at the State Fair to help impacted communities throughout the state regroup, recover, and rebuild. Together, we’ve generated enough food to fuel more than 280,000 meals for North Carolina families — enough to fill 18 truckloads of food, water, and essential supplies.
A Note on Food & Supplies Donations
At this point, partners on the ground in Western North Carolina are not equipped to accept additional consumer-donated food or supplies.
Financial donations are the fastest and most effective way to connect families across North Carolina with food and supplies. For every dollar donated, food banks can provide multiple meals of food — far more than any individual can purchase at retail prices. We’re also able to tailor products and shipments to match local needs and capacity.
If you represent a company or organization that is able to compile significant quantities (pallets or greater), the following products are in highest demand in the aftermath of major storms when families often do not have regular access to power and cooking fuel.
- Water (gallons or other large containers)
- Peanut butter and jams (larger plastic jars)
- Chicken, tuna, or salmon (in pouches or pop-top cans)
- Ravioli and other ready-to-heat meals (in pop-top cans)
- Crackers (boxes or sealed containers)
- Dried or canned fruit (sealed containers or pop-top cans)
- Granola or protein bars (boxes with individually-wrapped contents)
Want to pitch in? Reach out to our food sourcing team to discuss product availability and logistics.
Find Food & Essential Resources After the Storm
Our network of pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites, and delivery programs moves mountains to ensure everyone in our communities has access to food and other essential resources in the wake of a storm.
Use our FoodFinder tool to find locations and hours of operation near you – and be sure to call ahead if there’s any concern that your local site may be impacted by the storm.
