Shallotte food pantry receives $560,000 gift for new permanent home
SHALLOTTE, NC (WWAY) — The Lord’s Food Pantry has received a $560,000 gift from the Schoen Foundation to support a campaign aimed at building a new permanent home for the organization in Shallotte.
The donation will support Feed My Sheep: The Campaign for The Lord’s Food Pantry, a two-year capital campaign designed to raise the funds needed to construct a facility that can better serve volunteers and the thousands of people who rely on the pantry each year.
Founded in 1981 as the South Brunswick Interchurch Council, the all-volunteer organization provides food assistance to residents across the greater South Brunswick area. According to the pantry, its 250 volunteers served 8,318 family units in 2025, representing more than 29,000 individuals ranging from infants to retirees.
Karen Schoen Sutton, president of the Schoen Foundation, said the organization was impressed by the pantry’s long history of service and volunteer-driven mission.
“Our Foundation’s mission is to improve lives by supporting programs that strengthen individuals, families, and communities,” Sutton said. “The Food Pantry’s volunteer spirit is an incredible example of what dedicated individuals can do to strengthen and uplift their community.”
The first $225,000 of the gift allowed The Lord’s Food Pantry to purchase property at 605 Holden Beach Road in Shallotte, where the new facility is planned.
The remaining $335,000 will serve as a challenge grant intended to encourage additional community donations. Pantry officials say the project requires $1.25 million in total funding. So far, the campaign has raised approximately $460,000.
Campaign Chair Dan Shaw said the grant highlights the importance of the project and expressed hope that additional donors will support the effort.
“The Schoen Foundation grant underscores the importance of this project,” Shaw said. “We are looking forward to having other members of our community join the Foundation in building a new home for The Pantry’s volunteers and clients.”
Mike Claxton, president of the South Brunswick Interchurch Council Board of Directors, said the donation comes at a critical time as the pantry faces increasing demand.
“In 2025, The Pantry served 8,318 families — a number that doubled what we served just four years ago,” Claxton said. “The Lord’s Food Pantry’s new facility will let us continue to grow to meet the rapidly increasing number of families and seniors who are food insufficient.”
More information about The Lord’s Food Pantry and the Feed My Sheep campaign is available here.
