PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro

Teamwork is central to the PORCH model, as volunteer neighborhood coordinators look to neighbors to donate non-perishable food – which the coordinators then collect and transport. In Fox Meadow – a neighborhood consisting of about 60 houses on large lots off Rogers Road in Chapel Hill – a team of two couples share the workload as neighborhood coordinators. Read our profile on these incredible volunteers. https://lnkd.in/eTjZm-dY

Today, thanks to the Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro, we held a ribbon cutting for the Community Hub in downtown Carrboro. It was so wonderful to see members of our PORCH families, our board members, our volunteers, our sponsors, and community leaders gather for this celebratory moment that was years in the making. Our non-profit started from a simple idea in 2010. We have worked to continually grow ever since.? As Executive Director Erin Riney shared this morning: “This new space is so much more than a physical building. It’s a manifestation of our collective shared values and vision.” Added Board Chair Lenore Jones-Peretto: “We listened to our participant families’ needs – this hub will allow them to choose their own food.”? Let’s continue to deepen our impact and cultivate even more connections through the Hub, making our community even more resilient in the process. We have more volunteer shifts per month than ever before. Go to our website to sign up to be part of the magic of this space and the people it serves. We look forward to continuing to make a difference –?together!?

We have so many families and couples, like MaryAnne and Mike Pilcher, who volunteer together. Join the fun! Head to our website to find opportunities – link in bio.

Children who are experiencing hunger perform worse in school, are sick more often, and have more social and behavioral problems. That’s why PORCH started the Food For Schools program – to get healthy snack foods into the hands of children who need them the most – so they can attend classes and focus on learning. PORCH supplies all 21 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools as well as the district-wide pre-K program and two after-school programs with snacks to address this issue. The FFS program provided $23,497 in snacks to our schools in 2023. Learn more on our website.?

We’re two weeks away from the grand opening of our new PORCH Community Hub, and we couldn’t be more excited! Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. for a ribbon cutting and brief remarks. Check out these benefits of our new Hub model!

October marked another record month, with 700 families enrolled in our Food for Families program – 2,681 individuals, including 1,529 children. Volunteers packed a total of 530 non-perishable bags that were loaded into our participants’ cars, along with a gallon of milk, 2 dozen eggs, and a beautiful box of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our Burmese, Karen, and Congolese refugee families received a bag of beautiful fresh produce from Transplanting Traditions Community Farm. All families received a grocery store gift card. Additionally, more than 100 non-perishable bags were delivered to 9 Food for Pantries partners. A big thank you to everyone that stepped up this month to sign up for extra shifts. It truly takes a small village! As our community needs grow, we are seeking more volunteers. If you know someone who would like to volunteer, please have them email us at [email protected].

As we prepare to open our Community Hub in downtown Carrboro next month, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has helped us get to this point since our founding in 2010.? Our small, grassroots hunger relief organization makes a big impact! Every month, Neighborhood Coordinators collect food and cash donations, and then our volunteers sort fresh and non-perishable food before distributing it to local families, pantries, and schools.

Have an upcoming event, such as a staff outing, a business open house, a holiday party, or a neighborhood gathering? Make a PORCH food drive part of your celebration! This will have an immediate impact on our neighbors experiencing food insecurity. Help us fill non-perishable bags for our 700 (and growing) families! Find easy instructions on our website: https://lnkd.in/gjGPzY2H

Claire is a freshman in high school and a Neighborhood Coordinator for PORCH, collecting food in Lake Hogan Farms Circle. She loves that PORCH’s impact can be immediately felt by volunteers, donors, and participants. “It’s so local,” Claire says. “You can see – especially with the new physical space – the direct influence of what you’re giving to people. And you know it’s not getting handled by 15 people before it gets in the [family’s] hands.” Thank you for all you do, Claire! Read our blog feature: https://lnkd.in/e2atZCRQ

Every month, our Neighborhood Coordinators collect food and cash donations, and then our volunteers sort fresh and non-perishable food before distributing it to local families, pantries, and schools. We have now distributed more than $6.5 million in hunger relief since our founding in 2010. Great things happen when we listen to our participants, deepen our capacity to serve them well, and invite the community to support each other through our work. Thank you to every person who partners with PORCH to build community and provide fresh, healthy food to our neighbors!