CHARLOTTE — Channel 9 viewers are helping stock the shelves of local food pantries as part of our 9 Food Drive, and we want to show you where your donations are going.
Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis visited Nourish Up to check on the need and see how it takes a village to help feed our neighbors.
“Last year, we served more people than we have ever had in our 50-year history,” said Tina Postel, CEO with Nourish Up.
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Postel says they could fill up Bank of America Stadium twice with the number of people that they serve.
“The first time we would have filled that stadium up with the adults that we serve; the second time we would have filled that stadium with just the children and seniors who needed our services,” Postel said.
So their Charlotte warehouse is always bustling with volunteers like Cheryl Ponton and Rodney Mayes.
“I have been delivering food for probably about 20 years,” Ponton said.
Ponton and Mayes both fill their cars with home deliveries.
“Hopefully, make people’s lives a bit better,” Mayes said.
In the back pantry, we met Luellen Stine preparing the food boxes.
“There’s just so many people who need food, and food is so expensive right now, so I just want to give as much as I can and help people who need the help, and they’re very appreciative,” Stine said.
And it’s because of people like Britney Wright, who we ran into at Nourish Up, that these volunteers have food to give.
“I came here today to donate food, I try to donate every other month if I’m able to,” Wright told Channel 9.
She knows just how much of a difference every donation makes.
“Years ago, I was in a situation where I understood what it meant to be hungry, and I do notice the increase in the cost of food,” Wright said. “It’s so helpful for families to be able to come to Nourish Up and get food.”
Nourish Up serves Mecklenburg County and gets about 30% of its food from Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, our partner in our 9 Food Drive.