Blog
April 2024: The Latest from PORCH
- Members of Morris Grove Elementary’s Girls on the Run program brainstormed ways they could do something to impact their community, and they decided to host a food drive for PORCH. We are so grateful for their support!
- As our community needs continue to grow, we are seeking more volunteers. If you know someone who would like to volunteer, please have them email us: sofia@porchcommunities.org.
- Rohan Jensen, 13, is proof that PORCH volunteers can make a substantial difference in fighting food insecurity at any age. The eighth grader lives in the Gimghoul neighborhood and is among PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s newest Neighborhood Coordinators. “In my school, we’ve had people talk about food insecurity,” he says. “It’s something we can do. It doesn’t take that much time. It’s something to help other people.” Read our feature on Rohan.
- Members of Chi Omega created 30 birthday celebration kits. These kits will bring so much joy to families in our communities! Thank you!
- In addition to our much-needed food donations this month, PORCH will also collect gently used children’s books for the Public School Foundation‘s “Books Over Break,” a summer literacy program whose goal is to prevent summer setback. PSF will distribute these books to families who may be unable to provide them for their students. Please set out your gently used books suitable for Pre-K to 8th grade reading levels with your regular PORCH food donation.
- In March, 637 families were enrolled in our Food for Families program – more than 2,400 individuals with 1,399 of those being children. Volunteers packed a total of 520 non-perishable bags that were loaded into our participants’ cars, along with a gallon of milk, two dozen eggs, and a beautiful box of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our Burmese, Karen, and Congolese refugee families received a bag of rice, garlic, onions, and a beautiful head of cabbage. Plus, all families received a grocery gift card. We also delivered more than 134 bags of non-perishable items to nine of our Food For Pantries partners!
- Thank you to The Daily Tar Heel for this recent article, which highlights our work and quotes Erin Riney, our executive director.
- Our work – providing healthy, nutritious food to nearly 650 families each month – would not be possible without our network of hundreds of committed volunteers. They have shown up through the pandemic, extreme weather, and changing community needs, and we could not be more thrilled to be in community with them. In April, volunteers helped pack and distribute more than 11,000 lbs. of non-perishables along with 12,800 lbs. of produce, 640 gallons of milk, and more than 1,200 dozen eggs!