Paths to Purpose with James Caldwell

Second Harvest’s Senior Director of Agency Services, James Caldwell, steps away from a produce distribution to reflect on his team’s tireless work — ensuring partner pantries across Helene-impacted communities have what they need not just for the storm’s aftermath, but for the long road to recovery.

One of the most common misconceptions about people who turn to Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC network for help is that they are somehow taking advantage of the system—people who are lazy, chronically unemployed, or battling addiction. But when you take a closer, more compassionate look, the truth is far more complex—and far more human.

James Caldwell, Senior Director of Agency Services at Second Harvest, knows this firsthand.

Before joining the food bank, James built a successful career in the NASCAR industry. He never imagined he’d need help himself. But when the economy crashed in 2008, James—like so many others—lost his job. Despite years of networking and experience, the job market was saturated.

"I had made so many connections, I thought I’d find a job right away,” he recalls.

But opportunity proved elusive. For four long years, James was unemployed or underemployed, taking any job he could to support his family.

At one point, he worked as a cashier at CVS, handing out the famously long receipts. Despite his best efforts, the financial strain became too great. James and his family lost their home.

“Growing up, my family was middle class. My parents shielded me from their struggles,” he says. “This was unfamiliar territory. It was horrific.”

James and his wife did everything they could to protect their daughters from the reality of their situation. Eventually, a position opened at Second Harvest. James began as Development Manager, Special Events and has been advanced  to his current role. Today, he helps lead efforts across an 18-county region, working with partner agencies to find creative ways to feed and support local communities.

His resilience was tested again in 2020 when the pandemic upended everything. Need skyrocketed. Traditional food distribution models no longer worked under new safety guidelines. James and his team adapted quickly by introducing drive-thru and mobile food distributions.

“COVID changed all of us,” he reflects. “It changed how we work, how we give, and how we help.”

Now, James is focused on the future—building partnerships, increasing volunteerism, and identifying needs across the region. One challenge? Their strongest volunteer base, seniors, is dwindling. “They’re aging out. We need new hands and hearts to step in,” he says.

Despite the emotional weight of the work, James finds purpose in every story, every handshake, every moment of connection. He knows what it feels like to be on the other side. And he believes deeply in the dignity of every person they serve.

“I know now this is where God needed me,” James says.

His servant’s heart has become a lifeline to countless individuals, some whose stories mirror his own, others vastly different. He remembers one woman in Iredell County, raising her great-grandchildren alone after two generations of her family fell to heroin addiction. She was on a fixed income, bearing a burden no one her age should have to. James saw the look in her eyes—the exhaustion, the gratitude, the quiet desperation.

“Most people aren’t looking for a handout,” he says. “They just need a hand.”

Over the years, James has carried with him hundreds of moments like those snapshots of grace, resilience, and human connection. They are the heartbeat of the mission. They are why he keeps going.

“Whether I’m collaborating with agencies or handing out food at a distribution site,” he says, “to know that, at the end of the day, you’ve really made a difference... it gives me goosebumps. I love my job. We’re making a difference.”