Aaron Blackwelder’s story is a testament to how passion, skill, and kindness can intersect in powerful ways.

Access to food should not depend on where someone lives. But across Northwest North Carolina, geography, transportation, and distance can all shape what’s within reach.

Join Second Harvest, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Feeding America in the Fight Hunger. Spark Change. campaign

How one couple is ensuring their commitment to community continues for generations.

As the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues, its impact is being felt here at home. Across Northwest North Carolina, thousands of federal employees—including TSA officers and others who help keep our communities safe—are navigating missed paychecks and growing financial uncertainty. These are individuals and families who contribute to the strength and stability of our region every day. At Second Harvest, this is where our work meets the moment. Second Harvest st

Each week Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC CEO Eric Aft offers a behinds -the-scenes look at the work of feeding hope, healthy, and opportunity.

For 25 years, Empty Bowls has reflected a simple truth: when a community shows up for one another, something powerful takes shape. What began as a modest gathering inspired by the stone soup story has grown into one of our area’s most enduring traditions. Each year, Empty Bowls invites neighbors to take part in something larger than a single meal — a shared commitment to ensuring families across the region have reliable access to the food they need. Over time, the event itsel

A partial federal government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to begin Saturday, February 14, 2026. Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina remains here for our community — providing food, support, and clear information during this period of uncertainty. What Is Not Impacted Even with a federal government shutdown in effect: SNAP (Food and Nutrition Services) benefits will continue and be paid on time. WIC benefits continue

If you want to understand the heart of Second Harvest's Providence, stand in the room on graduation day.

For 20 years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC’s Providence department has proven that food can do more than nourish—it can open doors, restore dignity, and create opportunity. What began as a small culinary training program has grown into one of Second Harvest Food Bank’s most dynamic strategies for strengthening communities, developing talent, and delivering fresh, nourishing meals where they are needed most.

Bruce Sherman likens hunger to a statement by Desmond Tutu: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in.” Bruce and his wife Peggy understand the need to alleviate hunger now while developing long-term strategies to eradicate food insecurity and its root causes. That’s why the Greensboro couple decided to include Second Harvest Food Bank in their estate plans in addition to their

Susan’s voice catches as she tries to speak. “Bernie has truly enriched my life. No matter what she’s going through, she’s always thinking of others. Every little bit adds up—what she does for Second Harvest in a year is amazing. I truly want to be like Bernie.”

“We have people that come here that have different challenges and obstacles in their life,” he said. “We work with people as to the best of their abilities. I ask students in the beginning, ‘Do you want to be just OK or good or very good?’  It starts right here with the fundamentals. Can you cook rice pilaf? Can you make a vinaigrette? An emulsion so it doesn’t separate in five minutes? The end result is that plate right there. I tell them in the beginning, ‘I’m not going to

Shutdowns do not unfold like a storm that arrives and departs abruptly. They seep. They compound. And they hit hardest in the lives of people with the fewest buffers — the families whose budgets were already so tight that one unexpected bill, one late paycheck, one delayed benefit tips them into crisis.

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.

Across our 18-county region, more families are turning to our network of food assistance partners — not because they are doing anything wrong, but because the ground beneath them keeps shifting.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, the regional Feeding America affiliated-food bank serving 18 counties across northwest North Carolina, is deeply concerned about the federal government shutdown and its potential impacts on families in our region.

Data is more than numbers on a page. It’s how we see the real struggles and strengths of families and communities, and how we hold ourselves accountable to building a more food-secure future.

On the second day of classes at Mitchell Community College in Statesville, students are enjoying a welcome week event on the plaza near the student union. By campus estimates, a third of them are hungry or worried about feeding their families.

One year ago, Hurricane Helene swept across our region, leaving deep and lasting scars. Families lost homes, jobs, access to food — and in many heartbreaking cases, they lost loved ones. In the face of overwhelming grief and need, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC — with the support of thousands of donors, volunteers, and partners — mobilized to deliver immediate relief and stand beside our neighbors when it mattered most. Today, we remain — walking alongside communiti