Community Call to Action: Urgent Food Donations Needed
As our community’s local food co-op, we do not take food insecurity lightly. SNAP serves 41 million people across the country, regionally for upwards of 90,000 people in Western North Carolina, for whom any disruption or reduction in benefits can create immediate and significant hardship, directly affecting their ability to access food and other essentials. This affects not only our shoppers but also our staff. We ask everyone to be gentle with our staff as well as volunteers at food pantries and community organizations distributing food for free or low cost. Many of these organizations are already working at capacity and will likely face even higher demand if benefits are delayed or reduced. A little patience and kindness can go a long way. We can uphold our cooperative values by centering compassion, equity, and community.
👉 The Hendersonville Community Co-op will be collecting urgent donations near our check-out counters, that will be taken and distributed to [food pantry] to be available for those needing food security this month.
Please consider contributing food via this donation box if you can, or a dollar amount through the QR code below and on the box. Together we will keep our community fed.
Food resources in Hendersonville, NC
Below are a list of local resources and places that are providing food to those who need assistance >
MANNA Food Bank
The MANNA Partner Network of more than 220 nonprofit pantries, meal sites, and other community-based organizations help neighbors access free food across 16 western North Carolina counties including the Qualla Boundary. Use the MANNA map to find MANNA partners and food distributions close to you.
Call or text the MANNA Food Helpline at 828-290-9749 Monday-Friday from 9 am - 4 pm
The Saluda Pantry
The Pantry partners with MANNA food bank and local farmers and businesses to fill the shelves, refrigerators and freezers each week. We operate on the “shoppers choice” model which allows patrons to choose the food they enjoy and will use for themselves and their families.
Henderson County Food Distribution Calendar
Check here for daily food distribution locations throughout Henderson County
IAM - Interfaith Assistance Ministry
IAM provides crisis assistance with a range of essential items and services, including food for a week for each family member, clothing, linens, personal hygiene supplies, heat and utility bills, rent and mortgage payments, medications, pet food, and other basic needs.
Community Food Pantry
Located at 3685 Chimney Rock Rd. Hendersonville, NC 28792.
Phone: 828-642-4749
The Storehouse
If you are in need of food or essential hygiene items, please call 828-692-8300 on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, 9am-2pm. If you need food, just stop by or call during our regular hours.
We also have delivery available for those who are homebound or have special needs.
For those outside of Western North Carolina, check your county DHHS website - they may have more information on where you can access free food in your community. The NC DHHS Food and Nutrition Services website also has a list of food banks in the state.
Advocate: Ask Congress to Protect Nov. SNAP Benefits
Right now, Republicans control the U.S. Senate, House of Representatives and Executive Branch (e.g., federal agency leadership, like USDA). This means that co-ops and citizens who are represented by Republican lawmakers can be especially influential right now. If your lawmakers are Republican, it’s important that they hear from you on this and other issues you care about, even if you believe they disagree with your position.
To advocate on behalf of our SNAP shoppers to keep receiving their benefits regardless of whether the government remains shutdown, contact your elected officials with the following script, which is National Co+op Grocer’s recommended strategy but can be modified if you would like:
My name is [____] and I am an owner of a SNAP authorized grocery cooperative. I am deeply concerned that we will not be able to serve our shoppers due to insufficient federal funding for SNAP. Due to the shutdown, I am asking the [Congressman/woman/person] to urge USDA Secretary Rollins to release funds available to USDA in the SNAP Contingency Reserve to be used to fund November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance. Additionally, please urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority to fully fund November benefits.
How to Contact Congress:
You can contact your elected officials by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and telling them your address, or by looking up your legislators on GovTrack.US (scroll down to find the look-up tool). When you call, a staffer will answer and write down your comments to share with the Congressperson. They won’t argue with you or ask you to justify yourself. When they hear from a lot of people in their state or district about an issue, they DO pay attention. Note that while there is legislation in play from Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) that could fund SNAP during the shutdown, it could also jeopardize shutdown negotiations in a way that could result in increases to peoples’ healthcare plans. For this reason, at this time we are not recommending support for that particular legislation, and are instead recommending the strategy described in the script above.
