For the Long Run

Top: FeedNC Executive Director Lara Ingram and Culinary Director Andrew Hughes with a volunteer. Middle: Andrew Hughes with a participant in the Culinary Job Training Program. Below: Ingram and Program Director Brittany Holbert and Program Coordinator Brianna Rucker.

FeedNC is holding its largest fundraiser of the year April 1 through May 31. Be a Hunger Hero by donating, volunteering, and spreading the word about the many ways FeedNC is changing lives. Donate and learn more at FeedNC.org.

More Than a Meal

FeedNC innovates to serve the changing needs of community

by Grace Kennedy photography by Lisa Crates

Like the area that surrounds it, FeedNC has grown and changed in many ways since its founding three decades ago. It began as the Mooresville Soup Kitchen in 1987, and changed its name to FeedNC early last year after a lengthy quest to find out how the community’s needs have changed over the years and how the organization can best meet those needs.

“We took a journey of listening and asking lots of questions,” says FeedNC Executive Director Lara Ingram. “People were incredibly receptive, understanding it would lead to better services.”

Ingram and her team discovered that being called a soup kitchen was discouraging working people from using their services. There was a perception that a soup kitchen is only for people experiencing homelessness, while 95 percent of those who need FeedNC are employed but still experience food insecurity.

The name FeedNC speaks to the four main ingredients in the organization’s mission: Food, Education, Essentials, and Dignity. Education

FeedNC believes it takes more than a meal to end hunger. To help clients become financially independent, the Culinary Job Training Program provides 12 weeks of hands-on field training and life skills classes, followed by job placement assistance. “We know going forward, especially coming out of a pandemic, that people need workforce skills and a livable wage,” says Ingram.

EssEntials

These days, people working one or even two jobs may not be able to pay rent, utilities, medical bills, and put food on the table. The FeedNC Pantry allows people to pay their rent and bills without going hungry. The Pantry is available by appointment Tuesday through Thursday.

Food

FeedNC provides breakfast from 8-9 a.m. and lunch from noon-1 p.m. The organization served more than 17,000 hot meals in 2020. Through the Food Rescuer program, local restaurants and supermarkets provide food that would otherwise be thrown away, resulting in decreased food waste and increased services for FeedNC’s clients. dignity

“We put this word in our name on purpose,” says Ingram. “When people are treated with respect and the process is dignified, they can imagine a different path forward. There is an element of hope in dignity.”