Haywood Christian Ministry Announces New Food Relief Initiative in Haywood County

Waynesville, NC – Through their ongoing commitment to build resilient and healthy communities, Haywood Christian Ministry (HCM) is proud to announce its plans to install refrigerated food lockers at 5 strategic places around Haywood County to make fresh, healthy food available to more of those who need food in our county. This initiative is made possible by funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

The N.C. General Assembly appropriated $10 million to Golden LEAF for the Food Distribution Assistance Program. This program is funded by federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Funds may be used for grants to nonprofit organizations to assist organizations in becoming eligible to be partner agencies of a North Carolina food bank or enhancing or expanding the capacity of current partner agencies of North Carolina food banks. The Golden LEAF Board awarded the first round of funding in August and expects to award remaining funds by December 2023.

“The Food Distribution Assistance Program is a unique opportunity to enhance and expand the capacity of nonprofits working with our North Carolina food banks to address food insecurity,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “Golden LEAF is proud to partner with the State of North Carolina to leverage this one-time federal funding for a lasting impact across the state.”

Amy Hutchings of MANNA FoodBank said, “MANNA FoodBank is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the Golden LEAF Foundation and our partner agencies to bring this historic investment into WNC. We are especially proud to see that Haywood Christian Ministry will be one of two partners receiving initial funding to install the first food lockers in our 16-county network.”

These refrigerated lockers will be strategically placed with partners in areas of Haywood County that either have higher rates of food insecurity or have less consistent access to food assistance. Current plans are to place lockers at the Canton Branch of the Haywood Public Library, Clyde Town Hall, the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center, the Fines Creek Branch of the Haywood Public Library, and at HCM’s main offices.

“Placing a locker at the Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library will fit well with established library programs currently addressing food insecurity,” says Kathy Vossler, the Library Director for Haywood County Libraries. “With the addition of food resources and support of Haywood Christian Ministry, the Canton branch of the library will be an even greater community hub to help enrich and transform the community in a new, impactful way.”

Those in need of food will be able to order food assistance through Feeding America’s order ahead platform. These requests for assistance will then be fulfilled by Haywood Christian Ministry, who will deliver food to the locker locations. Those who order the food will receive a notification with a unique code they can use to then retrieve their food.

“We are very excited about this new program and are extremely grateful to Golden LEAF, MANNA FoodBank, and our local partners who are making this effort possible,” said Blake Hart, HCM’s Executive Director. “One of our main goals is to ensure that everyone can thrive, and that is only possible if everyone has enough food to eat. We know that some people cannot make it to food pantries due to work schedules or transportation issues. Our hope is that this initiative will help them have access to fresh, healthy, and safe food.”

This initiative not only addresses the immediate need for food assistance, but also serves as a stepping stone towards long-term solutions to hunger. By offering easily accessible food resources, HCM aims to raise awareness about food insecurity, encourage community engagement, and foster a sense of community among residents working together to support one another. 

For those interested in supporting this endeavor, there are several ways to get involved. HCM welcomes volunteers, donations, and community partnerships to help ensure the ongoing success and growth of this initiative!

For more information about HCM’s efforts to combat hunger, please visit www.hcmnc.org or contact HCM at info@haywoodministry.org or by calling 828-456-4838.