This is peak season for food banks right here in Western North Carolina. The continuing rise in the cost of food, rent, utilities, fuel and more has created an extremely difficult situation for many people.

Within our region’s diverse population, many of the people facing food insecurity come from the most vulnerable segments of society: children, senior citizens, and immigrant communities.

“Our community has a rich tradition of neighbors looking out for each other. Through natural disasters, personal tragedies, and other hard times, we’re there for each other—because that’s the kind of community we are,” said Hola Carolina’s Executive Director Adriana Chavela.

“One of our strategic goals is making sure we have a selection in our food pantry of different ethnic foods to make sure we’re making everyone feel welcome and respected in their culture,” added Chavela.

While our region continues to experience a high need for food, MANNA FoodBank has seen a decrease in food donations. With food donations down and a high demand for food amongst our neighbors throughout WNC, they have had to purchase more food than in years past.

Seeing our community come together to meet this historic need gives us hope that we can continue to ensure that our neighbors have food and hope.

If you have been thinking of getting involved or are looking for additional ways to provide support, please consider volunteering at Hola Carolina or MANNA; sharing important resources with your networks; or making a financial gift.