Rural Delivery Program

More than 90% of our member agencies are in rural locations. Our Rural Delivery Program delivers food and other products once a month at twenty points in the eastern, western and southernmost parts of our service area. This makes it just a bit easier for some of our more remote rural agencies to receive their products. About 70% of our member agencies take advantage of the Rural Delivery Program.

Pantries

5-0-our-programs-imageWe work with 100 hunger-relief partners operating 145 programs across 15 counties in northeastern North Carolina. Each one is dedicated to the mission of ending hunger in their community. The Food Bank of the Albemarle serves as a regional clearinghouse for donated and sourced food, the food pantries distribute the food directly to those in need.

You are not alone if you are struggling to provide nutritious food for yourself or your household.  Many agencies and organizations are ready to help, but it is really important that you apply for and use food stamps if you are eligible.  If you are not receiving food stamps, find out if you are eligible by visiting your county’s Department of Social Services or check out the www.fns4nc.org website.

If you need help finding an agency in your area, click here. It’s as simple as putting in your zip code.

 

Mobile Food Pantries

What is a Mobile Food Pantry?
The Mobile Food Pantry is a truck used to deliver fresh produce, dairy products, and other food and grocery products directly to distribution sites where people need food. These are usually sites referred to as food deserts or areas where affordable and nutritious food is difficult to obtain, particularly for those without access to an automobile or public transportation. When the mobile food pantry arrives at a site, a sponsoring agency provides the volunteers to check-in the clients and assist with food distribution.

Click here for a current list of our Mobile Pantry locations.

 

Why a Mobile Food Pantry?2016-kraft-mobile-food-pantry-food-bank-of-the-albemarle

Because each day, many of our neighbors in the rural area of northeast North Carolina do not know where their next meal will come from. The area served by the Food Bank of the Albemarle  spans 15 counties and 6,000+ square miles. Despite serving our large network of hunger-relief member agencies, there are still areas with high levels of need. Even in areas where agencies provide assistance, clients may not always have access to food because agencies are only open certain hours or days per week. In outlying areas, many people do not have cars and there is no public transportation. It’s nearly impossible for them to get to a pantry miles away. They are also not able to incorporate enough fruits and vegetables into their diet because of accessibility and cost. With a mobile food pantry, we can take healthy food directly to our neighbors in need!

We think of the Mobile Food Pantry as an “agency on wheels”, and currently it serves over a dozen locations.

 

Produce to People

Food Bank of the Albemarle is fortunate to be centrally nestled in the rural northeastern corner of the state where agriculture is a major factor, and produce crops are grown in abundance.  The Food Bank works diligently within the agribusiness community and visits with our area farmers regularly to maintain donor relations and establish new Food Bank supporters. During peak harvest seasons, the produce sourced for our families facing food insecurity are distributed in a number of ways:

 

  • Through the Food Bank’s network of partner agencies for regular pantry hours and for special produce distribution days
  • It’s sent as a supplement to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). We’re always exploring additional ways that we can provide fresh produce to our clients.
  • To the local Elizabeth City and Edenton Public Housing Authorities
  • Summer Feeding sites
  • Other remote areas identified as having a need for these healthy foods

 

Food Bank of the Albemarle takes great pride in distributing approximately 1 million pounds of fresh produce annually.