“The measure of the greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.”
– Pope Francis
The Durham Community Food Pantry, a program of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, works to end food insecurity in Durham and Orange counties. The facility will open in Spring 2019 and replicate the service model currently in practice at Catholic Parish Outreach. The food pantry will be a collaborate effort engaging multiple partners through Durham and Orange counties to address this incredibly important need.
Check out this latest update from an interview by NC Catholics with the Program Director for the Durham Community Food Pantry, Elise Mudd.
There is a tremendous need for additional food resources to serve families in Durham and Orange Counties. According to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Durham County currently faces an estimated 1 million pound annual food shortage and Orange County faces an estimate half million pound annual food shortage.
The Durham Community Food Pantry will be a 7,500 sq. foot facility located at the Lakewood Shopping Center in central Durham. Also located at the Lakewood Shopping Center are El Futuro, El Centro, and the Scrap Exchange who will provide additional supportive services to families who visit this food pantry.
The facility will also house the Catholic Charities Durham Regional Offices to provide wrap around services such as budgeting and nutrition classes. The facility will use the service provision model currently in place at Catholic Parish Outreach, which has the demonstrated capacity to serve over 12,000 individuals each month.
Projected numbers for the Durham Community Food Pantry by 2021:
| Days a week that the food pantry will be open | |
Days worth of groceries families can receive once every 30 days |
|
Volunteer hours needed to operate each month |
|
Individuals served each month |
|
Million | Pounds of food distributed annually |
“In imitation of our Master, we Christians are called to confront the poverty of our brothers and sisters, to touch it, to make it our own and to take practical steps to alleviate it.”
– Pope Francis
The Durham Community Food Pantry has responded to the call and is seeking support from the community to provide the resources needed to serve the families of Durham and Orange County. Together we can respond to this call to achieve goals beyond our needs and help create an environment of hope and opportunity.
For the Durham Community Food Pantry to be operational at its opening in May 2019, we are asking the community for donations from the list provided. Please help us make this possible as your donations are extremely important as they will help make our community a better place. If you are interested in donating any of the items on the list below, please contact Elise Mudd, Durham Community Food Pantry Program Director, at Elise.Mudd@raldioc.org or at 919-286-1964 ext. 4.
Durham Community Food Pantry
Equipment list
| A/V Cart (Narrow) |
| A/V cart (Regular) |
| Box Cutters |
| Box Truck |
| Cooler (Commercial Reach-in 2 door, 41 cubic feet) |
| Cooler (Single Door Reach-in) |
| Cutting Boards |
| Dumpster Dolly |
| Fatigue Mats - *Purchased* |
| Food Prep Tables with Bottom Shelf and Casters (6 ft) (Stainless Steel) |
| Forklift |
| Freezer (Commercial Reach-in 2 Door, 41 cubic feet) |
| Garbage Cans on Wheels (20 Gal.) |
| Hand Wrapper |
| Insulated Cooler Bags |
| Kitchen Knives |
| Large Garbage Cans on Casters (44 Gal.) |
| Magnetic Knife Holder – Wall Mount |
| Measuring Cups (Plastic) |
| Packing Tape Dispenser |
| Pallet Jack Scale |
| Pallet Jack Scale Ramp |
| Pan (Stainless Steel) |
| Plastic Carts for Groceries (Grey) |
| Rolling Stairs |
| Scoop (Stainless Steel) |
| Sealer Tape & Paper Kit |
| Sealers |
| Shopping Cart (Metal) |
| Stools |
| Storage Files (4 Drawer Plastic) |
| Table Top Scales |
| Walk-in cooler 16' x 18' - *Purchased* |
| Walk-in freezer 16' x 18' - *Purchased* |
| Wall Holder for 3 Boxes of Disposable Gloves |
| Wire Shelving – Narrow, on casters |
| Wire Shelving – Wide, on casters |
For questions about this program, please contact:
Program Director
Durham Community Food Pantry
Elise Mudd