With the holidays around the corner, nonprofits are counting more than ever on turkey drives, financial contributions, dedicated volunteers going the extra mile — sometimes literally — and increased awareness and support from the community at large.

With the holidays around the corner, nonprofits are counting more than ever on turkey drives, financial contributions, dedicated volunteers going the extra mile — sometimes literally — and increased awareness and support from the community at large.
Olivette Riverside Community and Farm hosts a benefit festival for ASAP’s Double SNAP for Food and Vegetables program. Also: MANNA FoodBank’s popular Empty Bowls returns; Nine Mile bottles its salad dressings; and more!
Since COVID-19 emerged in early 2020, local nonprofits dedicated to meeting the needs of food insecure citizens have been engaged in what feels like an endless game of Whac-A-Mole, no sooner subduing one obstacle before another rears its menacing head.
It’s time to celebrate the creativity of our community’s response to the pandemic, even as we acknowledge the pain, uncertainty and loss that surely still lie ahead. Community members weigh in on the successes that fill them with pride as they look back on 2020.
Xpress Assistant Editor Daniel Walton and local community figures discuss how the year’s events have accelerated many of the issues that were already facing Western North Carolina.
While organizations continue to use traditional forms of community engagement such as printed mailing lists and media relations, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have widened their scope of donors and support.