Feeding Community
At Second Harvest, we believe EVERYONE DESERVES TO EAT.
We believe that access to food is a fundamental right – a cornerstone for
individuals to live their best lives and for communities to flourish.
As the primary food resource for a network of hundreds of food assistance programs across 18 counties in Northwest North Carolina, Second Harvest plays a crucial role in nourishing our region. Our Mobile Pantry, Mobile Nutrition Services, and Community Meals programs extend this support, helping to ensure that immediate nutritional needs are met.
Second Harvest is committed to tackling the root causes of food insecurity through a range of comprehensive strategies. These include workforce development programs, partnerships with health systems and schools, nutrition education, public policy advocacy, and more.
Together with our community and partners, we are working toward a shared vision: food-secure, healthy communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
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​We all have a role to play!
Our Work
Meal and Grocery Programs
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Everyone needs nutritious food to be healthy and to live life to the fullest.
In addition to serving as the primary food source for more than 500 food assistance programs throughout 18 counties of Northwest North Carolina, Second Harvest partners in communities to provide:
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Health clinic-based food pantries;
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School Pantry and weekend BackPack programs for children;
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Community Meals (nutritious, tray-packed meals) prepared for children, seniors, and adults with disabilities living in low-income households by our Providence team chefs, staff, and volunteers;
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Mobile Pantry distributions that work to create increased access to food for people living in more rural communities and designated food deserts;
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Mobile Nutrition Services, delivering nutrition education and fresh produce to communities challenged by poverty; and
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Farm Fresh Nourish, a program matching local farmers to local food assistance agencies.
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Nutrition Services​​
Supporting Healthy Lives and Healthy Communities.
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When people are struggling economically, it is not uncommon to have to sacrifice quality or variety or even skip meals to make ends meet. After all, while most household expenses are fixed, the grocery bill is not.
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The results can be devastating, with increased risk of:
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Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer
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Trouble in school for children and teens
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Increased stress and poor mental health
Second Harvest's Nutrition Services Team uses a variety of approaches to support healthy lives and healthy communities. These evidence-based services help families gain skills, knowledge, confidence, and resources to maximize their food resources for healthier eating.
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Workforce
Development
PROVIDENCE CULINARY TRAINING: Changing lives, one recipe at a time.
Second Harvest's Providence programs have helped hundreds of individuals launch and enhance their culinary careers.
Courses include:
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Culinary Fundamentals (6 weeks)
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Advanced Culinary (six weeks plus one-week internship)
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Barista Training (3 weeks)
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GRACE (an adaptive kitchen classroom experience supporting greater independence and opportunity)
Scholarships are available.
Distribution and Logistics Management:
This comprehensive 12-week curriculum includes specialized forklift training and certification conducted by Goodwill Industries instructors. Students delve into warehouse operations and logistics software under the guidance of Forsyth Tech instructors. All training activities are hosted at Second Harvest Food Bank's facility where our team provides trauma resiliency and employment readiness training.
The program is supplemented by an 80-hour internship with local industry partners, including Second Harvest. Dedicated support from an ESL coach will be available to Spanish-speaking students, and scholarship opportunities are accessible for eligible students.
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Public Policy
Collaborating to build food secure and healthy communities for all
Across the 18 counties Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC serves, thousands of people cannot reliably access all of the food they need to live a healthy life. Simply put, this is unacceptable, unnecessary, and why we do what we do.
From our data-driven initiatives, to small-town focus groups, to large-scale coordination with health care systems, to connecting elected officials with citizens with lived expertise with poverty and hunger, Second Harvest brings together community members and leaders to make impactful change in all areas of health, food access, and poverty.
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Disaster Response
As part of the Feeding America network, we stand prepared.
Preparedness
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As members of the Feeding America and Feeding the Carolinas networks, Second Harvest is part of a plan that positions emergency food supplies throughout the country to distribute quickly in the event of a disaster. We establish partnerships with local non-profits and within the food industry to call on when needed. Through our day to day hunger-relief operations, we help stabilize low-income and at-risk populations who are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters.
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Response
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During a disaster, Second Harvest uses our logistical expertise and equipment, such as storage facilities and trucks, and coordinates with Feeding America and Feeding the Carolinas to move food to the locations where it is needed. Our Providence Community Meals program creates ready-to-heat meals for quick distribution.
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Recovery
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Second Harvest and all Feeding America food banks remain rooted in communities long after disasters occur and help create long-term solutions for recovery in impacted areas.
GET IN TOUCH
3330 Shorefair Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
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Tel: 336-784-5770
Fax: 336.784.7369