Advocacy in Action: Why Your Voice Matters Now More Than Ever

At Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, we are steadfast in our commitment to ensure that every person—every neighbor—has access to the nutritious food each of us needs as a foundation for everything else in life: learning, working, healing, and simply thriving. That work has never been more vital, and never more challenged, than it is today.

Our communities are in a sustained hunger crisis. In 2022, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina and our network of 332 partner food pantries served an average of 35,300 people each month—children, seniors, veterans, and working families. Today, that number has more than doubled. From late 2023 through May of this year, we’ve assisted an average of 78,400 people every month.

This elevated need continues to strain local pantries and community partners. In response, Second Harvest will spend more than $4 million this fiscal year on food purchases—eight times more than we did before the pandemic. Yet looking ahead, we know our resources won’t stretch as far as they need to.

Unfortunately, at a time when help is most needed, critical federal programs that supported both food banks and local farmers are being scaled back or eliminated.

What’s Changing—and Why It Matters

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) was a powerful example of smart food policy in action. This program provided funds to buy fresh, nutritious foods from local and regional farmers—keeping small farms viable and food flowing to people who need it.

But now, the next round of LFPA funding, totaling $500 million, has been canceled. That means less fresh food for families in need and fewer opportunities for small farmers who relied on those contracts to grow their businesses and invest in their operations. It also marks a shift away from a proven partnership that supported local economies and strengthened our food system.

Similarly, we’re seeing uncertainty in another key federal program: The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Orders supported by federal Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) dollars have been canceled with no clarity on future plans. This is creating huge gaps in food deliveries at a time when the cost of groceries is squeezing working families harder than ever—and when many of those turning to food banks don’t qualify for other forms of help like SNAP.

While we hope this type of strategic and impactful government investment will return in another form in the near future, for now, uncertainty and the decrease in resources are creating challenges for our region’s families, our partner agencies, and the Food Bank itself.

Standing Together in the Face of Challenge

Second Harvest—and our sister food banks across North and South Carolina and the nation—are committed to meeting this moment with innovation, collaboration, and advocacy.

We are working side-by-side with farmers, community leaders, and elected officials to fight for long-term solutions. We believe in strengthening—not weakening—programs that uplift our agricultural communities while feeding families. And we believe in policies that honor the dignity of every human being, rooted in our guiding belief that Everyone Deserves to Eat.

But we can’t do this work alone. We need you with us.

Here’s How You Can Help

You don’t need to be a policy expert to make a difference. You just need to care—and to raise your voice when it matters most.

TAKE ACTION NOW: It only takes two minutes to send your legislators a message: Help small farmers and people facing hunger by supporting Local Food Purchases!

Send a Letter Now

📣 SIGN UP FOR FUTURE ADVOCACY ALERTS: Stay up to date on the legislation that impacts food banks, local farmers, and families across our region. You’ll receive timely updates and easy ways to contact lawmakers when your voice can help shape a better future.

Together, we can ensure that our community’s food system is strong, resilient, and fair. Together, we can stand up for policies that nourish bodies, strengthen families, and support American farms.

Thank you for being part of this vital work.

Because in the end, food is not just a basic need—it’s the foundation of everything else we do in life.