Today, Governor Roy Cooper volunteered at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. He thanked staff and volunteers for their work and packed Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) boxes of food for low-income seniors.
“Thanksgiving is not only a time for family, food and football, it’s a time for grateful reflection and service,” said Gov. Cooper. “This past year has been difficult for everybody and I’m thankful for groups like the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina who fight food insecurity across our state.”
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has provided food for people facing hunger in 34 counties in North Carolina for over 40 years. The food bank is an affiliate member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger relief charity and it has more than 800 partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and programs for children and adults through distribution facilities in the state.
"We're so thankful to be part of this incredible community that, despite a sustained increase in need and supply chain challenges, has supported the Food Bank in distributing record amounts of food over the last year," said Peter Werbicki, president and CEO of the Food Bank. "Consistent donations allow us to remain nimble and innovative in building solutions to end hunger, and as the holiday season approaches, we're thankful to work with so many dedicated partners to nourish people."
North Carolinians of all ages experience food insecurity in communities across the state. In October, 12% of North Carolina adults lived in households where there was sometimes or often not enough to eat and 51% of North Carolina adults lived in households where children had received food assistance in recent weeks. Last week, Governor Cooper signed the state budget into law, which allocates more than $75 million to combat food insecurity, including $40 million for North Carolina food banks.
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