Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, Inc.

Second Harvest’s food rescue operations and partnerships with retail grocers, food manufacturers, processors, farmers, and others are a critical resource for a network of 460+ local food assistance programs. Together, we work to ensure that residents who are struggling to feed themselves and their families can access the food they need for their health and well-being.

The 31+ million meals our network provides each year are an important source of nutrition for hundreds of thousands of people. However, persistent poverty and economic disparity in our communities compel us to approach and evaluate our work with a wider lens.
Connecting issues of food insecurity, food access and health, childhood hunger, and pathways out of poverty, Second Harvest advances collaborative approaches that improve the lives of families and support transformational progress in our communities.

The future we envision is one where hunger is a thing of the past.

FEEDING HEALTH
Evidence-based nutrition education | Public education: Best Foods to Donate | Partner network training: Healthy Choice Pantry models | Food & Nutrition Services outreach | Increasing fresh produce distribution

FEEDING FUTURES
School Pantries | BacKPack Programs | Kids Cafes |
Summer Food Service Program sponsor, recruiter, trainer.

FEEDING OPPORTUNITY
13-week culinary training program | Students give back by supporting Providence Community Meals: prepared meals for child and senior nutrition programs | 24-month paid Hospitality Residency opportunities with Providence’s fine dining and cafe-style restaurants and Providence Catering

FEEDING CHANGE
Collaborative partnerships focused on hunger, food access, health, and poverty (Imagine Forsyth) | Advocacy for policies and practices that lift families out of poverty | Data collection to support strategic program innovation and advocacy (Service Insights)

For nearly 40 years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC has developed significant partnerships and logistical expertise to source a variety of foods for distribution to our robust and dedicated network of 460+ on-the-ground partner programs throughout our 18-county service area. With a focus on making the connections between hunger and health, we have established an internal Nutrition Services team and build strategic partnerships with the healthcare industry and others toward the goals of improving individual and community health. We recognize that to end hunger, we must address its root causes. Our Providence Culinary Training Program and associated social enterprises (two "dining for a cause" restaurants, a catering operation, and a Community Meals program) are nationally recognized for its success in providing a pathway to careers in the foodservice industry for unemployed and underemployed residents.

For nearly 40 years we have worked to ensure that any neighbor who needs help to put food on the table can find it. Today, our work focuses on building collaborations that impact the health and well-being of individual lives and our communities.