NOURISH NC

Why NourishNC? Why Now?

For 12 years, NourishNC’s mission has been to feed the 1 in 5 children right here in New Hanover County who struggle with hunger. We specialize in putting good food in those kids’ bellies so they can succeed in the classroom, thrive in their community, and live healthier lives.

Food insecurity is the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. For many children, this means they do not know where, when, or if that next meal is coming. More info here.

A Food desert is usually an impoverished neighborhood that is “vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods.” This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.” This often means that families must shop at mini-marts or gas stations to eat. These businesses sell junk food, have significantly higher prices for food, and do not typically sell fresh produce. Use this tool to see where these food deserts are located.

Nearly half of all kids qualify for free & reduced lunch. See the most recent stats here

Our vision at NourishNC is to be “anywhere and everywhere” our kids need us, but we are limited by our current location.

• It’s too small and is literally falling apart
• It lacks enough storage for fresh, frozen, and nonperishable food
• Our current location has only 8 parking spots to host groups of 40+ volunteers
• It has only 1 warehouse loading bay door which is wildly inefficient
• Our lease is up soon – we are running out of space and time
• It doesn’t meet our needs and we cannot offer our kids the very best services and highest quality food that will help them succeed.

Our new home has been designed just for us! Our staff, volunteers, and families are going to love our new home!

• The best part of our new home is the free shopping area where our families and their children can choose the food that is right for them. This “client choice” model provides families with a dignified way to shop together, choose the food they need the most, and leave the rest for others. It also allows NourishNC to offer more culturally specific food items so that all members of our community have access to the food they love. Lastly, it saves donor dollars by eliminating waste!
• Owning a “forever home” is also a part of NourishNC’s promise to guarantee every hungry child in our community has access to nutritious food now and in perpetuity!
• Our new home is centrally located for the children we serve, their families, and our army of volunteers!
• Our new home will triple our fresh/frozen food storage and double our non-perishable food storage!
• Did you know we are already using our new home? Just 3 days after schools closed due to COVID-19, NourishNC opened our no-contact grocery drive-thru at our new location. We haven’t even begun renovations yet and we’ve already used it to provide hundreds of thousands of meals to children whose families are struggling during this pandemic. Imagine what we can do with a home that is designed just for us!

You are not just investing in bricks and mortar. You’re investing in our community’s children. Your contribution will ensure a community of happy and healthy children who can succeed where a rumbling stomach once stopped them. Over the past decade, we’ve nourished a generation of children. Will you help us nourish the generations to come?

Click here for Nourish NC FAQS

Please consider making a gift today. Every dollar counts. Thank you!