About
“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 County. The facility will open in Fall 2018 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.
The Need
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 Solution
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 and 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.
By The Numbers
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 |