Pop-Up Markets

Pop-Up Markets are no cost food distributions directly facilitated by the Food Bank. Most are walk-up, client choice distributions, with volunteers stocking tables from pallets of food and assisting neighbors throughout.  

Come as you are! There are no income, ID, or residency requirements to receive assistance. We have a brief check-in process so that the Food Bank can track how many people are served. Phone numbers are collected at every distribution in the rare event of a product recall; you may also opt in to join our text message list to be notified in the event of a schedule change.  

We suggest bringing totes or boxes to make it easier to transport your groceries, but this is not required. Some boxes may be available from the pallets of food being distributed. We are not taking donations of grocery bags at this time. For walk-up distributions, we provide utility wagons that are used as shopping carts. For a drive-thru, volunteers load food directly into vehicles.  

Our Pop-Up Markets team keeps a close eye on the forecast and avoids cancelling or rescheduling distributions unless it is necessary. At some locations, we can change walk-up distributions to a drive-thru. If there is a safety risk for attendees and volunteers (thunderstorms, icy roads, etc.), we will cancel or reschedule distributions on a case-by-case basis. If you opt in for text messages when checking in for a distribution, you will be notified of any cancellations or schedule changes at that location via text. We also will post any changes here and on our social media accounts.  

All of us at the Food Bank are committed to equity and equal opportunity throughout our service area. We combine food insecurity statistics with our own distribution data to identify communities that do not have sufficient access to grocery stores or traditional food assistance sites. Our Pop-Up Markets help fill these gaps while we work to grow local capacity. 

With a network of more than 700 pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites, and delivery programs throughout the region, most communities have access to nutritious food through one of our many local partner organizations. Use our FoodFinder App to find locations near you!

Everything distributed at Pop-Up Markets is provided by our generous donors – farmers, retailers, manufacturers and more. For this reason, the food we distribute varies based on availability; we cannot guarantee a specific product or quantity per household at any distribution. The most common foods we distribute include fresh produce, snacks, beverages, and retail bakery items. The Food Bank provides 8-10 pallets of food per distribution. 

Yes! We're always looking for help — and it's easy to sign up using our Volunteer Calendar. For individuals or families, you can find Pop-Up opportunities under our Raleigh and Wilmington locations. If you’d like to bring a larger group, please reach out to your local Pop-Up Markets Coordinator (contact information below) for additional information.

Our Pop-up Markets are designed to reach communities that do not have sufficient access to grocery stores or traditional food assistance sites. If your organization is in an underserved area and has the capacity to support, there are many ways to get involved locally. We'd be honored to help find the best path to deepen your impact. 

• If you are looking to get involved in shorter-term efforts locally, we hope you'll consider supporting a Food Bank partner agency near you. Our network includes 700+ pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites, and delivery programs throughout the region.  Enter your zip code on our FoodFinder App to find nearby locations.

• If your organization is able to host and sustain a monthly Pop-Up Market, we'd love to hear from you.  Please read over the program requirements and related information before submitting. 

• If you'd like to volunteer regularly as a group, we offer a host of options at our facilities in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Sandhills, and Wilmington. Check out the Volunteer Calendar to find dates and locations near you.