Pender County Coalition receives grant to launch fresh produce initiative

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) –The Pender County Coalition received a large check to help provide fresh produce to county residents living in communities described as “food deserts”.  The coalition includes Pender County Christian Services, Willard Outreach, Westview United Methodist Church, St. James Pentecostal Church, and Share The Table.

The group received the “Creating New Economies Fund” grant of $20,000 from the Conservation Fund’s Resourceful Communities program. The money will be split equally  among the organizations and churches. The coalition will work with feast down east to distribute fresh, local fruits and vegetables to residents.

“Right now our food stores are critically low, so we do need a lot of help and not just this fresh produce, but in other canned goods. You know food boxed, pastas, things like that. We are critically low on food,” said Pepper Hill, Pender County Christian Services administrative specialist.

Pender County Christian Services has already started to distribute food through the new fresh produce initiative.