“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.”
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.
“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.”
“Sourcing more of our food locally would simultaneously boost the region’s economic stability, food security and health.”
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.
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.
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.
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 […]
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.
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, 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.
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 […]
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.
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 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 […]
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.
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.
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)
Celebs and politicos plunge into frigid water, raising more than $20,000 for Meals on Wheels.
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.
On Saturday, June 4, MANNA FoodBank will host the 12th Annual Blue Jean Ball on the banks of the Swannanoa River. More than 20 restaurants, dozens of area businesses and four bands are making this signature Asheville event possible. Many articles and studies have been published regarding hunger in Western North Carolina, including a piece […]
