Catholic Charities fosters a welcoming community for those who use its services, particularly at its food pantries. Thanksgiving provides a unique opportunity to deepen this connection by sharing groceries with families who might otherwise struggle to afford a holiday meal, while also rallying support from local farmers, churches, government agencies, and businesses.
This year, demand for assistance is expected to surge, with two Catholic Charities food pantries already breaking records by mid-November—a strong indicator of increased need. Meeting this demand requires dedication, creativity, and collaboration by the five Catholic Charities food pantries, which work tirelessly to provide help and create hope for our neighbors in need.
“We’re a partner of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and we work very closely with their Wilmington branch to distribute food to our community,” shared Emilie Hart, Cape Fear Regional Director. “We also partner with Feast Down East and currently have a grant to source food from local farmers to help strengthen our community while caring for our neighbors.”
In Durham, the “Everything but the Turkey” initiative brings together the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, local supermarkets, and volunteers to provide Thanksgiving meal kits. Each kit includes essentials like canned vegetables, potatoes, pie filling, and bread mix.
“We’re not just here to give people food. We’re here to give people an experience of being seen, being respected, being looked after, and not being judged,” explained Heather Wendeln, Volunteer Coordinator. “Organizing something unique like the ‘Everything but the Turkey’ helps us share love while we share food, and I truly believe that is just as important.”
Catholic Parish Outreach Food Pantry (CPO) in Raleigh is preparing for its busiest week of the year. Open Monday through Wednesday during Thanksgiving week, CPO expects to serve 200–300 families daily, or an average of three families every two minutes, thanks to a finely tuned process perfected over 45 years.
For Kelly Rappl, Program Director of CPO, her conversations with clients warm her heart. “We’ll frequently hear personal stories from families about the impact of our services,” shared Rappl. “It is very difficult for people that come in because they’re usually on the fringes, they fall through the cracks, and it’s really important that we not only serve them good nutritious food and provide them information to be healthier, but it’s so critical for us to meet them where they are and become partners.”
In Greenville, the Tar River food pantry leverages support from a pilot initiative to make the holiday special for families. The Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) provides funding to nonprofit organizations to serve qualifying Medicaid families. As part of the pilot, the Tar River office delivers healthy groceries to families with the goal of improving their health outcomes by creating access to nutritious food.
“In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, we have been including items like turkey, stuffing, low sodium vegetables, and fresh fruit and herbs in our food box deliveries,” shared Kim Gaskins, Program Director in the Tar River Region. “Thanksgiving is a busy time of year because all families want the opportunity to gather together and share a meal, and we want to help them achieve that.”
Across its regions, Catholic Charities staff and volunteers work tirelessly to ensure that no neighbor is left behind during the season of gratitude and giving.