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.

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

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

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.

When Darrell Reynolds drives a Second Harvest truck across Northwest North Carolina, he carries more than bread, produce, and meat. He carries the weight of lived experience—of knowing what it is to go hungry, of surviving on the streets, and of being lifted up by someone else’s kindness. Today, that history fuels his optimism, his compassion, and his daily commitment to help others.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC successfully completed the first trial run of its new Meal Response Unit—a mobile kitchen designed to deliver hot, nourishing meals to communities in crisis.

Eight women aged 64 to 83 filter in for the next-to-last session of Stay Strong, Stay Healthy (SSSH), a community-based exercise program offered by Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. The eight-week workshop is aimed at older adults to help them maintain strength, balance and flexibility, ultimately enhancing their overall health and independence.

“You have to put a face to policy.” That belief is at the heart of Fanta Dorley’s work. As the founder of Journey Adult Day Center in Greensboro, she works closely with adults and seniors with disabilities—many of whom quietly struggle with food insecurity in ways that are rarely acknowledged in policy papers or legislative agendas.  

At Second Harvest, we believe in fostering healthier communities through comprehensive support, and our Nutrition Services team is at the forefront of this work. We're proud to collaborate with many valued partners, including Pivot Ministry, to amplify our impact.

At Second Harvest, our volunteers bring our mission to life in countless ways—and this month, we’re delighted to spotlight Jalia Thompson, a vibrant, multi-talented member of our volunteer family whose dedication is helping our Fitzgerald Teaching Garden and Youth Garden Camp thrive.

The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation recently announced more than $10 million in new funding to food banks serving North and South Carolina—their largest single commitment to date. And Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC is proud to be one of the 10 organizations receiving this critical support.

At West Forsyth High School, a group of exceptional teens with differing abilities is rewriting what’s possible—with the help of Second...

At Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, we are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that every person—every neighbor—has access to the nutritious food we all need 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.