A recent community food assessment shows post-COVID food insecurity and hunger are surging in Macon, Swain and Jackson counties. The data is dire but could offer a roadmap for a better regional food system.
Tag: hunger
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Letter: No appetite for hot dog eating contest
“But perhaps we should ask those willing to pay $5 just to be entertained to alternatively consider giving those $5 to feed the hungry simply out of care and kindness for their fellow human beings who endure impoverishment, not always of their own doing.”
As costs soar, an end to federal support leaves students and families searching for food
Federal funding that allowed schools to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students ended last year. Now, area families face rising meal costs and tight subsidy restrictions.
Letter: 12 Baskets Cafe also fills hunger gap
“This program feeds scores of area residents from all walks of life, five days a week, offering a wide range of rescued and repurposed food from some of the finest restaurants of the city, grocery stores, retirement communities, hospitals, caterers and others in the food-service industry.”
Farmers can fix WNC’s health and hunger crisis
“Sourcing more of our food locally would simultaneously boost the region’s economic stability, food security and health.”
Terpsicorps revisits a poignant topic with ‘Hunger’
Terpsicorps’ ‘Hunger’ returns to the stage Thursday-Saturday, June 20-22, at Diana Wortham Theater for the company’s 17th season. Its message is even more relevant today than when the ballet premiered in Asheville five years ago.
WNC’s hidden faces of food insecurity
A host of factors, including poverty, job loss, lack of transportation, unaffordable housing and chronic health issues, contribute to creating barriers to food access. But the vague mental images painted by these scenarios do not necessarily put an accurate face on WNC’s sprawling and complicated food insecurity problem.
Local agencies battle health woes of food deserts in WNC
Food deserts —areas where people do not have easy access to large grocery stores — can occur in both urban or rural areas. Food deserts exist in many areas of WNC, including Asheville and Hendersonville. Malnutrition that occurs in food deserts can lead to poor physical and mental health.
MANNA FoodBank facilities upgrade boosts food security in WNC
In spite of Western North Carolina’s growing reputation as a dining destination, food insecurity is still a pervasive problem for the region. With more than 15 percent of WNC’s population identified as food-insecure by the 2014 Map the Meal Gap study (and that number is not declining, even with improvements in the economy), eradicating hunger […]
CROP Hunger Walk aims to bolster area food supplies
Even in Foodtopia, hunger is a big problem. Last year, MANNA FoodBank alone distributed 15 million pounds of food through 248 agency partners in 16 counties in Western North Carolina. Just more than 100,000 people were served from MANNA alone, in about 40,000 households.
The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village makes an impact on hunger with ongoing giving program
Asheville restaurant owners are known for their willingness to step up and give back to the community through fundraising events. But The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village has established an ongoing giving program that regularly contributes impressive amounts of money to support local hunger-relief efforts.
U Grow program provides hands-on approach to food security
U Grow, a partnership between Bounty & Soul and Eat Smart Black Mountain, offers a hand-to-mouth approach to food security by encouraging families and individuals to grow their own food.
Ingles Giving Tree stands against hunger in WNC
An 18-foot tree made of nonperishable food items and assorted household products, in a mall decked out in artificial candy canes: It’s as natural a fit as highlighting poverty in a place where commerce reigns and cash registers ring with cheerful abundance. “One of my goals for this season is to draw just a little […]
Report shines light on Asheville’s hunger, homelessness problems
Last week, the U.S. Conference of Mayors released an in-depth report examining the hunger and homelessness situations in 25 cities across the country, including Asheville. The report found that the city has serious issues with low wages, unaffordable housing, poverty, and the number of domestic violence survivors who end up homeless. Increases in homelessness are modest, but more families are homeless. The report also highlighted some local organizations doing “exemplary” work on the issues but predicted that coming social service cuts could make the situations on both fronts more dire.
Food on the table
As Asheville’s rates of hunger increase, local agencies are trying to keep pace. Standing in MANNA FoodBank’s warehouse holding a small bag of groceries, Beth Stahl, the nonprofit’s youth program coordinator, reflects on the value of food to the many Buncombe County children facing crippling hunger. “It’s kind of scary that this little bag of […]
A growing solution: Community gardens ease WNC hunger pains
A little girl's handwritten description of her weekly visits to the food pantry with her mother underscores how community gardens can help feed the hungry in Western North Carolina. "She wrote: 'I really like going to the pantry, because I get to help my mom pick out the vegetables. I like picking out tomatoes,' and […]
Photos: SonRise Community Outreach feeds the hungry, homeless one meal at a time
Every Saturday, SonRise Community Outreach serves the hungry breakfast from 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. However, they don’t want it to feel like a soup kitchen. They want it to feel like a restaurant, complete with menus, waitresses and, most importantly, good service.
Pride and prejudice:Food assistance cuts could hit WNC hard
Looming cuts in food-assistance funding could spell big trouble for Western North Carolina residents: Funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, may be cut by $4.2 billion this year.
Hungry city: Asheville area country’s 3rd worst in food hardship
Asheville’s food hardship problem isn’t going anywhere. According to a newly-released study from the Food Research and Action Center, the Asheville metro area is the third hardest-hit in the country, up from seventh last year.
(Photo by Bill Rhodes)
Asheville celebs and officials take Polar Bear Plunge
Celebs and politicos plunge into frigid water, raising more than $20,000 for Meals on Wheels.
WNC wellness review: State denies endoscopy center, hunger rates at 30 percent, and whooping cough
In this week’s health-and-wellness roundup, the state rejects Mission and Pardee’s request for a new endoscopy center, Carolinas HealthCare launches a mobile app for patients and more.