Community Responds to Increased Food Demand

CORONAVIRUS

From the Town of Chapel Hill

The Town of Chapel Hill Public Housing department, in conjunction with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and PORCH hunger relief organization, distributed large boxes of food to over 350 households on Wednesday, April 8.

The line of cars stretched all the way from Library Drive to the Dunkin’ Donuts on Franklin Street, with some individuals waiting up to an hour-and-a-half to get food.  More than 20 volunteers loaded the boxes into cars in a drive-thru style so people could adhere to the social distancing guidance.

Because the need for food has increased dramatically, the Food Bank Outreach Coordinator Jennifer Woods secured extra food, and PORCH Director Debbie Horowitz got an extra truck to haul additional food and boxes to yesterday’s event.

This service, once offered in Chapel Hill Public Housing communities for Orange County residents only, is now being offered at larger sites to promote physical distancing to any Orange County resident in need.

Each Wednesday, the food bank provides food to these families at a Town of Chapel Hill facility. Food pickup next week will be at Chapel Hill Public Library again from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more information about community resources like this weekly food distribution, please visit our web page dedicated to COVID-19 services: https://www.townofchapelhill.org/coronavirus 

To donate toward food assistance in our community, see the following:

• Donate food and supplies, including cleaning supplies, to the Inter-Faith Council (IFC).
• Donate food or money to TABLE, who is delivering bags of healthy food door-to-door to households that have children in the Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools. They have a Wish List of items and accept direct food and cash donations. On-line orders through Amazon can be shipped directly to their Carrboro offices at 209 E Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510.
• Donate money to help PORCH purchase grocery store gift cards to the families they serve. Make an online donation or mail a check, payable to PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro, to PO Box 16363, Chapel Hill NC 27516-6363.
• Visit Public School Foundation to donate to fund the CHCCS school meal delivery program. Include “Community Meals” in the memo line. You can also sign up to volunteer.
• You can mail check or money order to Meals on Wheels, who delivers meals to seniors once a week. Cash donations are needed. Mail to: Chapel Hill-Carrboro Meals on Wheels, PO Box 2102, Chapel Hill NC 27515.