Community encouraged to help donate food
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The food bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina will host a series of events through the month of September in honor of Hunger Action Month.
The Wilmington food bank branch handed out 7.2 million pounds of food last year alone.
Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina Wilmington Branch Director Beth Gaglione, says in our region 1 out of 7 people are hunger insecure which means they worry where their next meal will come from and 1 out of every 3 of those people are children.
Gaglione says, “Kids being out of school all summer which increases the demand for emergency food. In general though, it’s not a time of the year that people are thinking about their hungry neighbors and friends.”
Staff says they always need, “peanut butter, beef stew, cereals, soups, pastas. We can never have enough canned fruits and canned vegetables.”
Gaglione says you can bring perishable items too such as “fresh produce, meats, and other things like yogurt.”
She says it’s an amazing feeling to work at the food bank and help meet emergency needs from those in the area.
“It’s when the car breaks down or when schools starts and I have to spend 50 dollars on back to school items, those are when we see people, that’s when you see people,” says Gaglione.
If you can’t donate food, you can participate in a 24 hour telethon this Friday.
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