November 18, 2024
Tremendous community support is fueling Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC's work in hurricane impacted communities and across our region in the face of unprecedented requests for food assistance. Our disaster response efforts are focused on counties that were hardest hit and the surrounding counties that were also affected. This includes six counties in our service region, as well as counties typically served by MANNA FoodBank. These are Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes in our service area and Avery, Mitchell, and Yancey counties in MANNA’s. We have been working in MANNA’s area due to their limited ability to access them and their own challenges after losing their building to the flooding.
Second Harvest has been in these communities since we began work 42 years ago. We were at the doorsteps of our partners in these counties as the clouds began to clear. And we will stand with these communities moving forward. We will take the time to understand their needs and ensure that our actions are informed by their input rather than assumptions.
Our response activities began within hours of the storm and continue to include:
Food Assistance: Getting the right food to where it is needed has been a key focus for our team – directly as well as through 26 of our partner programs and 11 programs in MANNA’s service region. To this end, we have:
Distributed more than 100,000 ready-to-meals.
Distributed more than 81,000 pounds of fresh foods (through mid-November) - vitally needed when so many families lost power and continuing due to the loss of 30% of the grocery stores in the region. Our Mobile Nutrition Services vehicle and large Mobile Pantry are being deployed to support part of this outreach effort along with regular delivery to all of these counties’ programs.
Planned and completed purchases of thousands of pounds of produce from local farmers who lost markets due to the closing of restaurants and grocery stores after the storm.
Provided (and continue to provide) thousands of hot meals for response operations, including electrical line workers, first-responders, and volunteers.
Equipment: Food assistance agencies in our network lost equipment vital to their ability to serve their community. As such, Second Harvest is:
Replacing freezers, refrigerators, kitchen equipment, and shelving, essential to storing, distributing, and preparing food.
Investing in vehicles and pallet jacks so that our partner agencies can manage, store, and, most importantly, support the distribution of food to hard-to-reach areas of the region.
Providing generators, fuel, and ancillary devices (CO2 and smoke detectors) to support individuals living in damaged housing.
Providing chainsaws, woodchippers, and log splitters, to support impacted families (and volunteers) in clearing roads and stockpiling wood to burn over the winter.
Direct Grants: We’re providing direct financial grants to multiple programs in impacted communities so they can spend those funds in their immediate area. Helping to “jump-start” local economies by supporting area businesses is vital to disaster recovery.
Strengthening Ongoing & Future Response Efforts:The immediate challenges in these impacted communities will be faced by families for months, while the long-term effects on our neighbors’ lives will last for years. To ensure we are prepared to support ongoing recovery efforts, we are actively planning for these realities. We will:
Enhance our flexibility to get food where it is needed as we look to set-up an additional storage and distribution location in western Ashe County.
Invest in all-terrain vehicles to ensure access to impacted areas through rough terrain to bring fresh foods, prepared meals, and supplies to remote areas in a timely manner.
Support our farmers impacted by the storm who are experiencing contaminated fields, lost animals, damaged enterprises (such as produce stands), and lost markets. We are exploring strategies to help them get back to production, which will enable them to supply our fresh produce programs as quickly as possible and help the local economies recover. A quick example of this is a grant we are providing to Springhouse Farm, one of the many farms we partner with, to help them address contamination in their well water and rebuild a riverbed on the property – both necessary to ensure the next planting season is possible. The result of this grant was many happy tears from the farmer and, we believe, a best friend forever – never can have enough of either of those.
Ensuring access to nutritious foods is the core of our work at Second Harvest – supporting the far too many families who live with food insecurity in their daily lives. Now many families find themselves in a new reality, facing uncertainty as the economic situation in impacted counties becomes clearer. Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC will be there, because our community – generous individuals, companies, and foundations – knows that we are an impactful investment to support our neighbors and strengthen our communities.
October 28, 2024
Sharing a story from a recent visit to Spruce Pine in Mitchell County where the people and families are resilient, faith-filled, and determined to thrive. We were there with our friends and partners from @MANNA FoodBank and Service Center for Latinos to provide families with fresh produce, other nutritious foods, and yes, more teddy bears! A Community United: Food Banks, Volunteers, and Hope Amid Helene’s Aftermath
October October 16, 2024
Pastor Alan of Neighbors Feeding Neighbor expresses his deep gratitude to Second Harvest CEO Eric Aft for all that the Food Bank continues to do for his beloved mountain community.
Activity at this airfield hangar-turned-Emergency Response Center hums with urgency and compassion, coordinated by Dan and Paula Nunez of Zombie Inc., retired military personnel, and a dedicated team of volunteers. Their mission is relentless: acquiring and distributing supplies to be airlifted into areas still cut off by impassable roads.
On the day captured above, Second Harvest CEO Eric Aft, along with other food bankers, were on another visit to the operation to connect with the volunteers there and get an update on the ever-evolving needs of communities in Avery and Mitchell Counties. Second Harvest has been supporting this critical work, focusing on both life-saving and life-sustaining efforts – from delivering prepared meals and kitchen equipment for the makeshift mess hall to providing log splitters, propane, CO2/smoke detectors, and more. In addition to airlift deliveries, food assistance agencies, including Neighbors Feeding Neighbors (NFN), one of only two serving the area and a partner of MANNA FoodBank, are picking up supplies from this location.
Though Avery and Mitchell Counties are generally served by MANNA FoodBank, a fellow member of Feeding the Carolinas, which lost its facility to the storm, they swiftly pivoted to establish alternate operations. Together with MANNA and other food banks in our state association, we continue to collaborate to address the widespread needs of all communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
October October 15, 2024
In times of great stress, having something to hold on to can bring immeasurable comfort. Thank you @Project Buddy Bears of NC, Inc., for helping our neighbors when they need it most.
Since Hurricane Helene hit, area hotels have become temporary homes for families displaced by the storm. For some, this is a brief stay, just until power is restored. But for many others, there is no home to return to.
When Lori Harris, whose family has been affected, learned about the situation, she reached out to Second Harvest to see how we could help. She connected us with Dana Bryson, chair of the Forsyth Tourism Board, who shared that ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat meals would be helpful for many families. Our Mobile Nutrition Services team quickly stepped in to provide assistance.
Lori has since rallied the support of several area congregations, including her own, Center Grove Church, who will be working directly with families to offer help through this incredibly difficult time in their lives. We will continue coordinating with Lori, Dana, and many others supporting our mountain community neighbors.
To everyone offering their time, energy, and heart—thank you for being a source of comfort and hope during this challenging time. We’re stronger together.
October 11, 2024
In the words of Beth Jacobs - Responding on the ground at Avery County Airport
"Yesterday was the first day in two weeks that I didn’t leave the Town of Spruce Pine with a heavy heart.
That’s not to say everything is fine, but can I tell you about how one person, one utterance, one instance of connection changed the whole scope of things?
Well, you know me, and I’m going to tell it anyway!
Two days ago, some mutual friends of a mutual friend and I engaged in some commentary on how amazing and helpful everyone has been during our shared crisis.
And I mean everyone.
Our first, second and third responders.
Our active military.
Our veterans.
Our pilots.
Our linemen.
Our tree service workers.
Our water service workers.
Our volunteers.
And, of course, the survivors of this disaster.
That conversation turned into shared relief and rescue efforts, which turned into ways we could assist one another to assist others, which turned into today:
Within the past 48 hours, Nikki Cook McCormick, (VP, Partnerships & Impact), Chef Jeff Bacon, (Executive Director and VP, Providence) and Senior Director Heather Patton Martin with Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC have organized incredible forms of relief, not only for the people affected by Helene, but also for the amazing volunteers, pilots, and responders working tirelessly at Avery Airfield to get dire needs met.
Nikki coordinated every need that Second Harvest could meet like a fairy godmother, then passed us on to Heather and Jeff for logistics.
Chef Jeff, and one of the amazing graduates of the culinary program he heads, personally drove a box truck down barely accessible roads to deliver, not only chicken fried rice dinner for 200 in hot boxes, but also two commercial refrigerators and a commercial oven. He even left the pallets they were sitting on for Dan and Paula Nunez, with Ink Zombie Group, and their volunteers to organize incoming supplies!
But wait… There’s more!
Tomorrow and going forward, they will provide amazing dinners for these volunteers, hot meals for the community at large, and are loading up the airfield operation with shelving, pallets, crates and baskets to organize the supply hangar.
Also, they’re bringing 4 pallets of ready-to-eat meal boxes, each holding 5 meals, some fresh/raw foods and even frozen breastmilk!!
It’s like winning both showcases on the showdown!!
It is incredibly heartwarming to see such goodness operating at such an organized and efficient level. We were so moved by the whole experience, and we feel enlightened for having witnessed such compassion!
We truly don’t know what to say, as thank you can’t begin to cover it. But we will say it, over and over, because that’s how grateful we are for everyone doing what they can to help those in need!
Thank you, Nikki, Jeff, Second Harvest, and the entire team at Avery Airfield! We appreciate you all so much!"
October 10, 2024
For over 40 years, Hunger and Health Coalition has been a lifeline for rural Appalachian communities, and their partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank has been essential to that mission. From daily meals to disaster relief, Second Harvest has stood alongside them in their commitment to be a resource for community members in times of need. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, this partnership has taken on new urgency. Hunger and Health’s vans, loaded with food, medicine, and essential supplies from Second Harvest and other resources, are now delivering aid directly to hard-hit areas like Cove Creek, Bethel, and Trade, Tennessee. As the region grapples with the storm's aftermath, we committed to supporting long-term recovery efforts.
October 9, 2024
Hurricane Helene tore through Ashe County, North Carolina, with a vengeance. Landslides scarred the hills, countless trees fell, and roads remained mangled and impassable.
But perhaps the worst was the wrath of the river. The New River, usually a serene thread weaving through the valley, rose violently, overflowing its banks and swallowing everything in its path.
Ashe Outreach Ministries, a lifeline for so many and a long-trusted partner of Second Harvest Food Bank, lay in the flood’s way. The building stood vulnerable to the rushing waters. Heavy commercial refrigerators, usually immovable, toppled. In the office, the water surged, rising to four feet, submerging desks, computers, and filing cabinets—years of records lost.
Since the waters receded, volunteers have worked tirelessly. They shoveled mud, tossed out ruined food, and removed debris piece by piece. Though the work has been slow, they pressed on, determined to restore what had been lost and resume services to local families, homebound seniors, and children.
Yesterday, Ashe Outreach Ministries picked up 100 meals from Family Central, where volunteer chefs have been preparing hot meals all week for first responders, members of the National Guard deployed to the community, and others. Combined with the meals Ashe Outreach volunteers have miraculously resumed preparing, the agency is moving closer to its goal of resuming its normal schedule of visits to elderly neighbors.
Upon seeing the Ashe Outreach volunteers this week, Miss Mary, who is over 90 and mostly homebound due to significant health problems, cried and hugged her visitor. Though her children visit daily, she had feared she would never see the volunteers again.
October 8, 2024
One more shout of gratitude to all who responded to WXII 12's Hurricane Helene Relief drive to support the response efforts of Second Harvest Food Bank and our incredible on-the-ground partners. The effort raised $243,896.26 + 33,521 pounds of supplies. Here is some coverage of the delivery of collected supplies to our partner agencies in Ashe and Watauga Counties:
October 7, 2024
In response to community needs on the ground in the wake of Hurricane Helene, today Second Harvest expanded its efforts in Ashe County to include onsite production of hot meals in Family Central Enterprise Corporation's kitchen facilities in Jefferson, North Carolina. Under the leadership of the Food Bank’s Providence program chefs, volunteer chefs from the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Triad Chapter and Winston-Salem culinary community are now preparing fresh, hot meals daily for first responders, clean-up crews, and impacted individuals using ingredients provided by Second Harvest.
“Food is more than just sustenance—it’s a source of comfort, especially in difficult times,” said Chef Jeff Bacon, Executive Director and Vice President of Providence at Second Harvest Food Bank. “We’re honored to work alongside our on-the-ground partners and neighbors on this additional initiative to bring warmth and nourishment to those on the frontlines of relief efforts.”
October 5, 2024
In these early days since Hurricane Helene made landfall leaving a path of destruction and devastation across the Southeast, Second Harvest Food Bank team members have been on the ground every day, primarily, but not exclusively, in Ashe and Watauga Counties, delivering critical supplies and working hand-in-hand with our dedicated local food assistance partners. We'll be up there again this weekend, delivering truckloads of the supplies that continue to stream in and others purchased with generous gifts of support that also continue to stream in. With many residents still without power—or worse, displaced from their homes by the floods—ready-to-eat meals have been an essential lifeline in meeting their most urgent needs.
Our time on the ground has been crucial in so many ways. Most importantly, it has given us the opportunity to connect directly with our partners and friends—the people and leaders we work with throughout the year to ensure everyone has access to the nourishment they need for their well-being and for our communities to thrive.
We’ve always stood with our community, from meeting daily needs to responding to disasters. Today, we are addressing the urgent needs caused by Hurricane Helene, which has hit many of the communities we serve particularly hard. We will continue to provide food and support, not only in the immediate aftermath but for as long as it takes to help our neighbors rebuild.
Being on the ground also allowed us to reassure the community of the strength of the resources we’ll bring—not just in this critical moment, but for the long road ahead. Moreover, we’ve begun working hand in hand with community members to develop even more comprehensive plans for support as we move forward together.
October 3, 2024 - 26 cents
A gift of 26 cents touched the hearts of staff and volunteers at a community food drive held this day with WXII 12 News. It came from a young girl whose family dropped off donations to help our neighbors in Western North Carolina, whose lives have been upended in ways many of us can hardly imagine. Her small but powerful offering embodied the spirit of community that has shone through every day since the storm devastated our beloved mountain towns—taking lives and homes, but not a shred of the strength, resilience, and tenacity that define the residents of these hills and hollers. More to come...
Late Afternoon Update: October 1, 2024
Join us for a disaster relief collections drive with WXII 12
Thursday, October 3, 5 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
3330 Shorefair Drive, Winston-Salem, 27105
Most needed items are:
§ Paper towels
§ Trash bags
§ Disinfecting cleaners (food safe)
§ Peanut butter and jelly (plastic containers only)
§ Pop-top complete meals (including soups)
§ Pop-top fruits in natural syrup
§ Canned chicken or tuna
§ Individual cereal bowls
§ Family-sized shelf-stable milk
Monetary donations will also be accepted (cash or check onsite) and credit card donations here: here
Note: Additional community-wide, media-sponsored food drives will be forthcoming. We want, need, and appreciate strong community support for these efforts. We do not recommend organizing activities to collect supplies or travel to the impacted areas since first responders – both government and nonprofit – are trained and prepared to execute action plans that create the best results for the communities affected. While such efforts are done out of a desire to help, the reality is that these activities can complicate relief efforts and take time and resources away from the efforts by groups tasked with response responsibilities.
Thank you to our community and supporters for standing with us and our neighbors in this time of great need!
Update October 1, 2024:
People are asking so, here's just a bit more about response activities underway now:
Reaching out to all partner agencies in the affected areas to determine their status and assess their needs. Our priority is supporting our partners in disaster areas so they can support their communities.
Bringing Second Harvest Food Bank Mobile Pantry units to locations in Ashe, Randolph, and Caldwell counties, working on the ground alongside our partner food assistance agencies. On the date of this post, we are in Ashe County working with our partners at Ashe Food Pantry, supporting a large-scale food distribution to serve an estimated 400 households.
As we are getting through to our on-the-ground partners in impacted communities, we are placing orders for requested items and moving staged products to impacted areas. Many are requesting prepared meals owing to power outages, and our Community Meals team is preparing 10,000 additional shelf-stable meal boxes (providing a total of 50,000 meals) for distribution this week and next.
In Watauga County, one of the hardest hit, transportation and access to our partners is a major concern. Additional assessments are being done to determine how and where to get food. Today we are visiting with some of our partners and to explore how we can enhance response efforts on the App campus and beyond through use of kettle-created meals (soups, stews, and chowders) and other products.
Second Harvest is also working closely with Feeding the Carolinas (FTC) and our sister food banks to address needs throughout the state. Importantly, MANNA Food Bank , our sister Feeding America Food Bank serving Asheville other western NC areas, is a total loss, and we will join efforts to support identified needs in that devastated area.
In addition to specific disaster relief efforts, Second Harvest’s every day operations addressing food insecurity across all our counties continue, recognizing that unprecedented needs for food assistance exist in communities not impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Update: September 30, 2024
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we are actively coordinating with our on-the-ground partners and finalizing logistics for this week's supply distributions. Pre-staged products are en route to our warehouse to ensure steady replenishment as Second Harvest continues its Disaster Response alongside ongoing efforts to address the sustained crisis of food insecurity in our region —a crisis expected to worsen as the storm's full impact on lives and local businesses becomes clearer. Make a donation to support response efforts.
September 28, 2024
Governor Cooper has requested an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for 39 North Carolina counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which will bring much-needed resources to areas of our state impacted by Hurricane Helene, including Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, hazard mitigation, and more. The state’s Feeding America Food Banks, including Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, in conjunction with their state association, Feeding the Carolinas, are working with emergency management organizations and mobilizing drinking water, food, and cleaning supplies to address the immediate needs of families who lives have been upturned by the devasting impacts of this historic storm.
Counties Served by Second Harvest Food Bank Affected by Hurricane Helene:
Alexander
Alleghany
Ashe
Caldwell
Forsyth
Iredell
Surry
Yadkin
Watauga
Wilkes
Initial Response Plan for Second Harvest Service Area:
Assessment: Second Harvest is contacting its partner food assistance network in communities hit by the storm to assess impacts to operations and other immediate needs.
Emergency Food Outreach: Second Harvest will be deploying food, including ready-to-eat meals, in collaboration with its partners who are still able to operate, with a focus on the highest need areas.
Emergency Food Procurement: Financial donations will enable Second Harvest to purchase large quantities of necessary food and supplies for direct distribution to residents impacted by the flooding, food pantries, and shelters.
Across Second Harvest Food Bank’s service area, 10 of the organization’s 18 service area counties have been severely affected by the storm. Major road and highway closures caused by flooding, downed trees, and mudslides, particularly in rural and mountainous areas, pose challenges to Second Harvest response efforts. We and our collaborating partners ask that the community members avoid driving into affected areas for your safety and to allow emergency response vehicles and our delivery trucks clear access to impacted areas.
Food Pantries Affected in Second Harvest Food Bank’s Service Area:
Early reports are that food assistance organizations within our network are experiencing operational disruptions due to road closures, power outages, and damaged facilities. This has and will continue to affect their ability to distribute food to neighbors in need at a time when our network is already experiencing sustained high requests for help.
Severe flooding in Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Alexander, Caldwell, Surry, and Yadkin Counties has caused severe damage to some partner pantry facilities, destroying cooling and refrigeration units, is expected to impact their ability to provide assistance for the multiple weeks. In more urban areas, such as Winston-Salem and Statesville, our partner pantries were already struggling to meet increased requests for food assistance. Power outages in some neighborhoods will most certainly have resulted in food spoilage and create a greater burden on these organizations’ ability to assist our neighbors.
With the widespread destruction, it is reasonable to expect that food insecurity will further increase across the region due to the storm’s impact. This includes families who have lost their homes or access to food, as well as those who will experience job loss due to business closures.
How You Can Help:
Monetary Donations Are Essential. The most effective way to support our efforts right now is by making a financial donation. This allows us to quickly purchase food, water, and other essential supplies for the people who need them most. Please make a donation today.Local purchases, as possible, will also support local economies.
We do not recommend organizing activities to collect supplies or travel to the impacted areas since first responders – both government and nonprofit – are trained and prepared to execute action plans that create the best results for the communities affected. While such efforts are done out of a desire to help, the reality is that these activities can complicate relief efforts and take time and resources away from the efforts by groups tasked with response responsibilities.
Spread the Word: Help us raise awareness of the need in our community by sharing information and updates from our social channels and website. Encourage your neighbors, churches, and community groups to contribute by donating or volunteering. Use the hashtag #HeleneReliefSHFB on social media to amplify our call to action.
Second Harvest Food Bank is committed to responding swiftly to the immediate needs of families and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, ensuring access to food and essential supplies during this critical time. As the recovery process unfolds, we will remain dedicated for the long haul, standing with our neighbors as they rebuild their lives. Through our partnerships and community support, we will continue to provide resources, not only to address urgent needs for food assistance and basic supplies but also to help families regain stability in the months and years to come. Together, we are here for the long road to recovery.
Comments