Food Bank to Receive Philanthropic Investment from MacKenzie Scott

Elizabeth City – Today, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott published a list of charitable investments that she is making in non-profit organizations across the United States. Food Bank of the Albemarle is honored and proud to be included in this list of gift recipients. 

“Food Bank of the Albemarle is incredibly humbled by this generous gift, and we are convening with our board of directors and leadership team to ensure the philanthropy entrusted to us will help the people of northeastern North Carolina access more nutritious food today during the COVID-19 crisis and for the long term,” said Liz Reasoner, Executive Director of Food Bank of the Albemarle. “Food Bank of the Albemarle expects to receive its gift from MacKenzie Scott before the end of 2020.”

“MacKenzie Scott’s investment in northeastern NC is a vote of confidence in the work that we are doing every day to end hunger,” Reasoner continued. “From our more than 100 hunger-relief partners, to our individual, business, and foundations that support us with financial contributions at every level, we are incredibly fortunate to receive such recognition and feel it is our duty to be a responsible steward for today and the future of the Food Bank.”

“This philanthropic funding from MacKenzie Scott will provide the most needed resources as we work toward ending hunger in our 15 county service area,” said Reasoner, “but the issue of hunger is much larger than any one philanthropist can solve. Ending the devastating and life altering effects of hunger in our communities is within our reach, and it can only be accomplished if we all come together and contribute to the solution. Together, we can solve hunger.”

This announcement comes as North Carolina is in the midst of an unprecedented hunger crisis. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, northeastern NC had an estimated number of over 47,000 food insecure people. Since March, that number has risen to around 57,000 and is on the rise; 14,000 of whom are children.

Based on data from Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S., Food Bank of the Albemarle estimates that there are around 4.8 million meals missing from the plates of people in our region this year, on top of the 7 million meals the Food Bank and its partners are currently providing. The organization aims to close this meal gap by 2025.

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