New Physical Space Will Allow PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro to Serve More Families, Provide More Food Without Increasing Operating Costs

Carrboro, NC, August 1, 2024 – PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro announces the opening of the PORCH Community Hub on South Greensboro Street in Carrboro this fall, the first operations space in the non-profit’s 14-year history. The hub will be located across the street from the new Orange County Southern Branch Library and will include a client-choice market as well as community gathering space.

The Community Hub will serve as the distribution site for the organization’s Food for Families program, which provides more than $56,000 in direct grocery support each month to 663 families experiencing food insecurity – reaching more than 2,500 individuals. For most of PORCH’s history, Food for Families participants have driven to a distribution site on a designated day to pick up pre-packed bags of non-perishable groceries and produce, along with a gallon of milk and two dozen eggs. As the organization has grown, as many as 15 tons of food have been transported to a local park for a single monthly distribution. The Community Hub will invite participating families to shop a client-choice market on a more flexible schedule, selecting foods that are culturally relevant and suitable to their dietary needs.

“We’ve asked our families for feedback, and we’ve heard them loud and clear — they would love to be able to select their own food,” says PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro Executive Director Erin Riney. “We’re making this change to better serve our participants. Through the Hub, we can focus on forging deeper connections while prioritizing the dignity of choice.”

Along with the opening of a client-choice market, the Hub will also serve as a space for community partners to provide resources that participants have previously requested, such as Pre-K registration events, English classes, and information sessions on affordable housing options.

The Community Hub will enable PORCH to fully leverage partnerships with other organizations such as the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. These partnerships will allow PORCH to procure foods — including meat — at reduced prices or at no cost. Despite new overhead costs including rent, procurement changes will allow PORCH to increase fresh food offerings and serve more participants without increasing operating costs.

This new food distribution model will also create more opportunities for volunteers to engage with PORCH’s work —something that community groups and families have expressed interest in for years. With the opening of the Hub, volunteers will be able to access more shifts, a greater variety of roles, and opportunities specifically tailored for families or Spanish speakers. Neighborhood Coordinators — key volunteers who collect non-perishable donations for PORCH across 128 neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro — will continue to play a crucial role in the organization’s hunger relief efforts.

“Our mission is to mobilize neighbors, build community, and provide fresh, healthy food. Through the PORCH Community Hub, we will enhance the way we do all three,” says Riney. “We’ve worked very hard to find the right formula for growth and can’t wait for this new chapter to begin.”

PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro fights hunger by mobilizing neighbors, building community, and providing fresh, healthy food to families, local pantries, and schools. Since its founding in 2010, PORCH has provided more than $6.5 million in hunger relief to Chapel Hill and Carrboro residents. In 2023, PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro provided nearly $450,000 in hunger relief through fresh food, non-perishable goods, and grocery gift card support. Each month, hundreds of volunteers serve more than 660 families – about 2,500 individuals, which includes more than 1,400 children. Learn more at chapelhill.porchcommunities.org.

Media contact: Sofia Edelman, sofia@porchcommunities.org