food insecurity

People bring food to a gray car. This is one of the ways that food banks have overhauled their operations to deal with coronavirus.

NC food banks spring into action amid coronavirus crisis

March 31, 2020 by Carolina Public Press

NC food banks spring into action amid coronavirus crisis - North Carolina Health News

Food banks in NC have responded to the outbreak by overhauling their food distribution to minimize social contact and focusing efforts on at-risk clients.

Melissa Reardon Carolina Public Press Across the state, unemployment has soared and food insecurity is on the rise as a result of COVID-19, but heeding the call are hundreds of statewide hunger relief organizations that have been swift to act and adapt in this ever-evolving climate. North Carolina’s 100 counties are serviced by seven large […]

Kendrick Ransome is a farmer in Edgecombe County, which has the highest rates of hunger in the state

Eastern North Carolina communities look to map their way out of hunger

March 3, 2020 by Liora Engel-Smith

Eastern North Carolina communities look to map their way out of hunger - North Carolina Health News

Organizations from five counties with high food insecurity rates will participate in creating a map of their food ecosystem. The information they gather will be used to guide food policy decisions in the region.

By Liora Engel-Smith On his family farm in Edgecombe County, Kendrick Ransome grows good food. With winter not yet over, Ransome, a fourth-generation farmer, cultivates hardy vegetables on roughly 10 acres: collards, mustard greens, turnips and cabbage. In spring and summer, Ransome branches out to other organic crops such as squash, cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe. […]

Homeless UNC Pembroke students find a home and a hand on campus

December 23, 2019 by Rose Hoban

Homeless UNC Pembroke students find a home and a hand on campus - North Carolina Health News

One UNCP faculty member has taken it upon herself to make sure these students get what they need to succeed in school.

By Rose Hoban Most college students look forward to a welcome break at the holidays, when they head home to families, take time to catch up on sleep and old friends, and get their laundry done. That’s if they have a home to go to. On most campuses, there are students who have nowhere to […]

A little girl drinking water among other people. This photo was taken at the Giving Spoon to illustrate food insecurity.

Food insecurity in Chatham represents larger economic trend

October 28, 2019 by Carolina Public Press

Food insecurity in Chatham represents larger economic trend - North Carolina Health News

In places left out of the recovery, low wages and job insecurity drive expanding need, while politics may create more roadblocks to aid.

Keith Barber Carolina Public Press Chatham County, at the state’s geographical center, is home to 68,778 residents, 7,480 of whom are food insecure, according to data compiled by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. In Chatham County, roughly one in nine people are struggling with food insecurity, which is slightly less than […]

Seniors experiencing food insecurity eat at a church supper.

Elderly face high rates of food insecurity in NC mountain counties

September 27, 2019 by Carolina Public Press

Elderly face high rates of food insecurity in NC mountain counties - North Carolina Health News

Insufficient benefits and soaring medical expenses intensify food insecurity for seniors in Yancey, Mitchell and Avery counties.

By Karrigan Monk Carolina Public Press An elderly Mitchell County woman survived only because maggots in her leg were eating the dead flesh and preventing infection. At the time, she was living in a run-down home with no electricity or running water and little to no food. She could not afford these things or medical […]

Mediterranean food design (!) and cooking by TRG, shows a fish being braised in a pan with red and yellow peppers

UNC’s southern twist on Mediterranean diet keeps diners on track, earns $3.8M grant

July 19, 2019 by Thomas Goldsmith

UNC’s southern twist on Mediterranean diet keeps diners on track, earns $3.8M grant - North Carolina Health News

UNC researchers have devised an inviting mix of the Mediterranean diet and down-home cooking, aimed at keeping dieters motivated by providing food they actually like.

“… I am drawn to conclude that any plan to reform eating habits must not lose sight of the fact that people want to enjoy their food. Any sort of cooking or diet is doomed to failure if it fails to give people pleasure.” — Michel Guérard, Eat Well and Stay Slim: The Essential Cuisine […]

An elderly man in his house's doorway holding a poinsettia, chatting with an elderly woman in a coat outside.

Friendship Trays fills a niche in Charlotte’s support system

January 11, 2019 by Yen Duong

Friendship Trays fills a niche in Charlotte’s support system - North Carolina Health News

Charlotte’s main Meals on Wheels program, Friendship Trays, brings nutritious meals to people who cannot prepare their own and serves as part of a social support network.

By Yen Duong Lucy Bush Carter remembers one man’s 98th birthday well. One of her volunteer drivers for Friendship Trays, Charlotte’s Meals on Wheels program, called her to say “I’m pretty sure he’s on the dining room floor,” Carter recalled. “By the time I got there, the firemen and all the first responders were standing […]

State Funding Lags as NC Seniors Face Threat of Hunger

May 29, 2018 by Thomas Goldsmith

State Funding Lags as NC Seniors Face Threat of Hunger - North Carolina Health News

A new study finds one in five North Carolinians older than 65 feels the threat of hunger; placing the state second worst in the nation in the category. But the new state budget doesn’t include extra funding to address hunger for the state’s growing share of senior population.

By Thomas Goldsmith One in five North Carolinians older than 60 lives under the threat of hunger; placing the state second worst in the nation in the category, a new survey says. However, the growing reality of hunger among older North Carolinians didn’t get a response in the accelerated drafting of the state budget, despite […]

photo shows the front of a small store advertising fruits and vegetables and "got to be NC Agriculture" signs

Bringing Food to the Deserts

April 12, 2017 by Taylor Knopf

Bringing Food to the Deserts - North Carolina Health News

N.C. House lawmakers want more funds to put fruits and vegetables into corner stores.

By Taylor Knopf North Carolina lawmakers hope to introduce fresh food options to large stretches of land all over the state that are considered food deserts. These are areas where the scarcity of fresh fruits and vegetables leaves many residents to rely on local dollar stores and similar retailers for packaged and canned goods. House […]

Conetoe Family Life Center Farm. At the back of the farm, a converted school bus houses twenty-five bee hives that produce honey and honey butter to sell at local farmers’ markets

Food Banks in NC Shift To Healthy Choices

August 3, 2016 by Editor

Food Banks in NC Shift To Healthy Choices - North Carolina Health News

Food banks across the state are making efforts to provide more fresh fruits and vegetables. By Minali Nigam In North Carolina, one in six adults and one in five children under the age of 18 has inadequate access to food, according to statistics released by Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks. That puts […]

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