Food Bank of the Albemarle announced today that three hunger relief partners, including Open Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County, Beach Food Pantry, and Eagles Wings will each receive a full reimbursement from the Department of Agriculture (DOA) for expenses incurred during the pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic presented incredible challenges for the Food Bank and food pantries, including changes in distribution frequency, food availability, as well as rising costs of food, transportation and labor” said Liz Reasoner, Executive Director, Food Bank of the Albemarle. “This reimbursement funding will cover some of those expenses, and help Open Door Perquimans, Beach Food Pantry, and Eagles Wings continue their outstanding work as Food Bank partner agencies.”
The reimbursement funds are available as part of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, that was passed by Congress on March 27th, 2020. This bill allotted $2.2 trillion to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eagles Wings Food Pantry – Beaufort County
Eagles Wings Food Pantry will be reimbursed in the amount of $6,850 by the DOA for expenses related to staff wages during the pandemic.
“Eagle’s Wings gratefully accepts the $6,850 reimbursement received from the CARES Act through the Food Bank of the Albemarle,” said Ann-Marie Montague, Executive Director of Eagle’s Wings Food Pantry. “Every dollar we receive goes into addressing food insecurity right here in Beaufort County, so having these costs reimbursed means we can supply more nutritious food items to our clients. Eagle’s Wings thanks the Food Bank of the Albemarle for its prompt handling of this reimbursement.”
Food insecurity in Beaufort County touches 6,620 individuals (14%) of which 2,080 (22%) are children..
Beach Food Pantry – Dare County
“The Beach Food Pantry is thankful to the Food Bank of the Albemarle for their assistance in presenting a reimbursement request for otherwise unreimbursed COVID-related expenses to the State of NC,” said Elisabeth Silverthorne, Executive Director, Beach Food Pantry. “To have these funds unexpectedly come back to us, especially in a year when we’ve seen a significant increase in need, is a game-changer. It means that we can continue to provide client-centered service, focused on high-quality and nutritious foods, to people in need that live or work in Dare County. We are also grateful to the State of NC for making these funds available for hunger-relief efforts.”
Beach Food Pantry will be reimbursed in the amount of $49,998 by the DOA for the following expenses during the pandemic:
- Van, van safety accessories
- HVAC system and installation, insulation blankets,
insulation bags for summer food for kids - Storage Unit
- Freezer unit
- COVID rapid tests
- Cleaners & Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
- BFPSelfCheckout.org teach – for online ordering for clients
- Alchemer – for online applications
- Cognito Forms – platform for online applications
- A Go-To-Meeting subscription
Food insecurity in Dare County touches 4,500 individuals (12%) of which 1,100 (16%) are children.
The Open Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County
“The Open Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County is very appreciative of the CARES fund reimbursement and we appreciate Food Bank of the Albemarle’s efforts on our behalf,” said Rosemary Smith, Executive Director, Open Door Food Pantry. “These funds will be very helpful with purchasing much-needed items for our clients.’
Open Door Perquimans will be reimbursed in the amount of $9,135 by the DOA for the following expenses during the pandemic:
- Household items
- Office supplies
- Food
Food insecurity in Perquimans County touches 1,680 individuals (12%) of which 460 (18%) are children.
Hunger in northeastern North Carolina
Across Food Bank of the Albemarle’s 15 county service area, over 41,000 people are considered food insecure, including 13,800 children.
As an agricultural hub of the State, the Food Bank service area has a high population of immigrant workers, persons of color, and higher than average rates of uninsured residents. As examples, of those the Food Bank serves, an average of 59% are African America/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or two or more races. As North Carolina’s uninsured rate reaches nearly 13%, in the counties served, the rates are much higher. The range is from 16%-25% with an average of 19% across all 15 counties.
“Our hunger-relief partners work daily with the Food Bank to provide food and critical resources in their service area,” Reasoner added. “It is through these long-standing, as well as new partnerships, that we can ensure the need is being met across northeastern North Carolina.”