YES!! We rely on individuals and groups of volunteers to help in almost every aspect of Food Bank operations. We need volunteers to sort and process food, help with administrative functions, work at special events and fundraisers, and hold food drives.
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How big is the problem of hunger in the Metrolina area?
The South has the highest poverty rate of any region at 14.1%. The North Carolina poverty rate is the third highest in the South at 14.2%. The North Carolina child poverty rate is also the third highest in the South at 22.1%.
In the 19 county region served by Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina over 360,000 people live in poverty including over 160,000 children and seniors.
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Approximately 80% of operating revenue comes from fundraising efforts including special events, grants, corporate donations, and individual giving. The remaining 20% comes from small handling fees that are paid by our partner agencies on about one quarter of the food we provide to them. These fees are designed to help us recover the costs of transporting, warehousing, processing, and distributing food.
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How much food do you distribute?
In 2007-2008, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 25 million pounds of food and essential grocery products to our partner agencies and to other Feeding America Food Banks.
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How much food will $1 supply?
Each dollar contributed provides six pounds of food. Six pounds of food will provide approximately 4 meals.
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If I give to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, how do I know my money is being well used? How much goes for administrative expenses?
The Food Bank works very hard to make sure every dollar we receive is stretched as far as possible. The more efficiently we operate, the more we can provide to those who are hungry in our region. We are required to report our expenses to the IRS on Form 990. A copy of this form is available on this website. We are very proud of the fact that in our most recent reporting year, only 4% of our total budget including the value of the food distributed, went to administration and overhead.
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What is Kids Cafe?
Kids Café is our childhood hunger initiative. The Food Bank partners with agencies already serving children at risk of hunger to help provide nutritious meals and snacks at agency sites. We currently operate 35 Kids Cafe programs in ten different counties including Anson, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, York, Lancaster, Gaston, Iredell, Union and Lincoln.
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What is the biggest need at the Food Bank?
Our biggest need is to get you involved. You can help by making a financial donation, a food donation, or by volunteering your time. You can also help us by telling others that people are hungry in our region and that together we CAN end hunger right here at home.
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What other programs do you offer?
COMMUNITY FOOD RESCUE (Our GO GREEN Program) – Collects perishable food from restaurants, hotels, arenas, convention centers, grocers, food wholesalers, and other food service businesses and delivers the food at no cost to non-profit agencies feeding people in need, usually on the same day. Currently serves Mecklenburg County through our main warehouse and a satellite office in Davidson, N.C.
KIDS CAFE – An onsite feeding program that provides nutritious meals and snacks to at risk children in safe, accessible and convenient environments. Nutritional education is also provided. Currently, Second Harvest sponsors 35 Kids Cafe sites in ten different counties.
JUNIOR CHEFS – A component of Kids Cafe, this program offers at risk middle and high school aged youth an opportunity to train with local chefs. The youth then prepare signature dishes as part of a cook-off held annually at Johnson and Wales University. The program stresses self sufficiency and teaches the youth job skills.
BACKPACK PROGRAM – A component of Kids Cafe, this program provides backpacks full of nutritious food for at risk children to take home over the weekends.There are currently 30 Backpack Program sites in nine counties.
MOBILE PANTRY – Delivers 5,000 – 10,000 pounds of food per trip to rural areas of our 19 county service region. Those in need are served by partner agencies directly from the specially equipped mobile pantry truck. In 2007-2008 over one million pounds of food was distributed through this program to virtually every county we serve.
SECOND HELPING – Provides supplemental boxes of staple foods to homebound seniors to supplement their food supply and to improve nutrition. This program is currently offered in Cabarrus, Lancaster, Lincoln, Union (NC) and York counties with plans to expand into additional counties in 2008-2009.
FIVE – A – DAY CALCIUM PROGRAM – Provides calcium rich foods and nutritional education to seniors and children at risk of hunger. This program currently operates in Mecklenburg, Iredell, Cabarrus, Stanly, Rowan and Union counties.
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Why are so many people hungry?
Hunger is the result of poverty and in many of our service counties there is a predominance of low paying jobs. An annual salary of almost $29,000 is required to afford the average two bedroom apartment in Charlotte. Many working families struggle to make this amount of income while working multiple jobs at minimum wage.
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As the largest hunger relief charity in the Metrolina area, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina works to end hunger. We do this by supplying a network of over 600 non-profit agencies and churches in 19 counties with food and essential grocery products.
