Food Bank's First Branch Celebrates A Grand Reopening in the Sandhills

Our new-and-improved Food Bank at Sandhills offers increased food storage capacity, expanded community space, and an inviting design to welcome neigbhors.  

For over 40 years, the Food Bank at Sandhills has served families facing hunger across Lee, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties. Just last year, the Sandhills Branch provided over 7 million meals through the Food Bank’s network of 89 local pantries, meal sites, no-cost markets, and delivery programs. 

At the November ribbon-cutting event, Food Bank staff were joined by local partner agencies and volunteers who show up every day to support families across the Sandhills. And we were excited to unveil a new facility that nearly doubles our capacity to provide fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and protein in the region — offering even greater options for food assistance and community support. 

Over 5,400 seniors in Moore County face food insecurity, and they’re facing impossible choices between food and medicine. We wouldn’t be able to buy milk, produce, and meat without the Food Bank’s programs. And with the new Sandhills facility, it’s easier than ever to receive training and support to serve seniors in need.

– Stephen Phillips, Director of Moore Coalition for Human Care

The ribbon-cutting event was an opportunity to acknowledge rising challenges in the Sandhills — and celebrate how far we've come in our shared effort to end hunger.

As the first Branch Director in 2011, Michael Cotten supported the Food Bank at Sandhill’s inaugural volunteer program, Backpack Pals. Started by Linda Hubbard in partnership with Moore County Public Schools, Backpack Pals provides backpacks filled with shelf-stable meals for children over the weekend. During Cotten’s tenure as Branch Director, volunteers filled over 1,000 backpacks a week in just over an hour of effort.

It didn't take long for community supporters to take note of this new resources, and dedicated funding was soon in hand to help nourish kids in the Sandhills throughout the school year.  

We got our start as a small group of volunteers assembling backpacks for local schools to send home with kids facing hunger. It felt like family. Our Sandhills family has grown so much in the years since — and it’s so exciting to have a Food Bank facility that will empower the community that has truly embraced us.

– Michael Cotten, Founding Branch Director for the Food Bank at Sandhills

Today, more than 38,000 people face food insecurity in the region as the cost of living continues to rise. 

This means one out of every six neighbors across Lee, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland counties struggle to keep food on the table. The rising costs of food, medicine, and housing have drive more people to seek food assistance from the Food Bank network than any time in recent memory. And now, neighbors are greeted with a bright and welcoming space to comfortably receive food and get connected to local resources.  

This is a perfect time to remind the community that we are here for anyone who needs support. No matter what the circumstances may be, we're here to make sure our partners and neighbors have the resources we all need to thrive — and our network is open to everyone.

– Jessica Ledbetter, Network Engagement Manager and 16+ year Food Bank teammate

We are sincerely grateful for our partner agencies who are moving mountains to nourish families during the government shutdown and beyond.

The combined effort is incredibly important, as military families in the area are navigating unprecedented uncertainty. And with the new facilities, local partner agencies have the space and capacity to explore new ways improve food access in the Sandhills. 

Being the same age as the Sandhills Food Bank, I feel incredibly proud that we have served this community since 1981. Through every space we've occupied, our work has remained the same: we provide support to people in need today, and pursue long-term solutions to hunger. And now we have an incredible facility that can help us advance that mission and serve as gathering space for everyone to enjoy. 

– Sam Levinson, Branch Operations Manager and 13+ year Food Bank teammate