Print
Restaurants

Nourish NC, Other Groups Fill Food Gap

By Jessica Maurer, posted Apr 7, 2020
With New Hanover County Schools providing thousands of meals each week to students throughout the county, Nourish NC is just one of many local organizations that has answered the call to provide supplemental meals for the food-insecure.

Nourish NC’s director, Steve McCrossan, said the organization’s mission has not changed in the wake of the virus, but what has changed is the way it’s being carried out.

Nourish has partnered with New Hanover County Schools, GLOW Academy, Ring and Run, the Latino Alliance, Coastal Horizons, Kids Making It, the Brigade Boys and Girls Club and the YWCA, and together they have distributed over 1,250 emergency food boxes and 313 grocery bags (63,852 meals) at a drive-thru.

These packages included 827 loaves of bread, 533 packages of meat, 5,140 pounds of fresh produce, and 120 dozen eggs.

Beyond that, the organizations have purchased and delivered 800 take-and-bake meals and 1,200 brown-bag lunches (pictured below) to area neighborhoods and given 200 weekend backpacks directly to children in need.

Each organization is also doing its own work to combat hunger.

“Our focus is to get nutritious food into bellies of food-insecure kids and their families,” McCrossan said.

He said that thankfully, his organization was relatively well prepared for the outbreak. It began stocking up early on and discussing lessons learned from disasters such as Hurricane Florence. The staff also began multiple trainings in relation to COVID-19 safety procedures.

That preparation set them up for success, but the distribution has not been without its challenges.

“Our food distribution drive-thru opened March 17 and we had boots on the ground in multiple communities the same day,” McCrossan said. “A few weeks in, our biggest issue is the choppy supply chain. Some of our vendors have cancelled bulk orders all together; others are delayed indefinitely or cannot source certain products.

"We have reached out to multiple other vendors and hope to remedy this early next week. In normal times, we also take in a tremendous amount of donated food from the community but that has slowed to a trickle.”

McCrossan said the organization’s biggest needs right now are donations of cash and food.

“Every box of macaroni and cheese, every can of soup, and every dollar matters,” McCrossan said.

After an early adrenaline-fueled sprint, Nourish NC is now settling in for a marathon, said McCrossan.  

He emphasized that even if COVID-19 subsides by May, the organization is committed to feeding the children on their programs throughout the summer and beyond. That being said, this increased demand will require long-term funding.

“The data shows that donations typically surge after a disaster or incident and then exponentially decrease over the ensuing months,” McCrossan said. “While that worries me, I have always found our community to be generous when our kids need it. The people, businesses, and faith-based community here have always stepped up and I am confident that they will again.”

To learn more about Nourish NC or to volunteer or donate, visit its website.

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at: [email protected].
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Untitleddesign2 4523114356

Cybersecurity and Productivity: Striking the Perfect Balance for Business Success

Barrett Earney - EarneyIT
Jasonpathfinder3

What You Need to Know About SECURE 2.0 and Its Effect on Retirement Plans

Jason Wheeler - Pathfinder Wealth Consulting
Georgiarowe

Salling and Tate Dentistry Launches Annual "Gunner’s Runners" Shoe Collection Event, Aiming to Surpass Last Year's Success

Georgia Rowe - Wide Open Tech

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

NCino's Fourth-quarter Earnings Signal Rebound From Liquidity Crisis

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 27, 2024

In The Current Issue

INFO JUNKIE: Jack Fleming

Jack Fleming, owner of Socialry Marketing & Scourz and emcee for 1 Million Cups Wilmington, shares his media and tech picks....


Expanding Tastes On Castle Street

As John Willse and Beth Guertin, owners of Wilmington Wine bottle shop and now the recently opened Creative Tastings restaurant on Castle St...


Q&A: Andrews Reflects On Leadership

Pender County Manager David Andrews is slated to retire this summer after 33 years in local government....

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments