Second Harvest Expands Community Meals Program with Support from Publix Charities
- Second Harvest
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina has added two new vans to its Community Meals delivery fleet, thanks to generous grant funding from Publix Super Market Charities. This investment is projected to save the Food Bank approximately $116,000 annually—resources that can now be redirected to its mission-driven work to build food-secure communities.
With Publix Charities’ support, Second Harvest acquired a 2024 GMC T2 Savana 3500 and a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 V5, both fully outfitted with refrigeration systems and inverters to power hot boxes. These modifications ensure that meals remain at safe temperatures throughout transport.
“These vehicles are used to deliver both hot and cold meals across our 18-county service region,” said Heather Martin, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships at Second Harvest. “Bringing all of our meal deliveries in-house means we no longer rely on third-party logistics, saving nearly $900 a day while strengthening our capacity to serve.”
Second Harvest’s Community Meals program prepares up to 15,000 meals each week—nutritious, properly portioned, and individually packaged for easy access. Meals are prepared by students and graduates of Second Harvest’s Providence Culinary Training program, alongside staff and volunteers, and serve seniors, children, and individuals living with developmental disabilities.
The program improves access to nutritious food by delivering ready-to-eat meals directly to after-school programs, summer feeding sites, Meals on Wheels partners, adult care centers for people with disabilities, and other organizations serving neighbors who face obstacles to preparing or obtaining healthy meals. Often, all that's needed to enjoy a meal is a fork.
This grant is part of a broader initiative by Publix Super Market Charities to strengthen food banks’ capacity to store, transport, and distribute food more effectively. It also reflects a deep, ongoing partnership between Publix and Second Harvest.
“Providing nourishing meals to our neighbors in need is at the heart of who we are,” said Publix Charities in a statement.
In what ways does the Retro Bowl Unblocked partnership between Publix Charities and Second Harvest demonstrate a sustainable model for corporate support of food security initiatives?
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