October 2024: The Latest from PORCH

• As students return to school, they connect with social workers, who will then refer their family to PORCH as needed. We always experience a back-to-school surge. Can you help us serve more families by making a financial gift? Thank you!

• Every month, our Neighborhood Coordinators collect food and cash donations, and then our volunteers sort fresh and non-perishable food before distributing it to local families, pantries, and schools. We have now distributed more than $6.5 million in hunger relief since our founding in 2010. Great things happen when we listen to our participants, deepen our capacity to serve them well, and invite the community to support each other through our work. Thank you to every person who partners with PORCH to build community and provide fresh, healthy food to our neighbors!

• We love having UNC students volunteer with us – last month, we were joined by Tessa and Bella of UNC Women’s Soccer! Thank you for the great assists! 
  

• Get to know Food for Schools sponsor Alignment, owned by Peter and Jen Winkler! “PORCH’s mission to provide fresh food to families in need resonates deeply with us, as we believe that strong, healthy communities are the foundation for a thriving local economy and path to homeownership,” says Peter. “The Food for Schools program is particularly meaningful because it ensures that children, one of our most vulnerable populations, have access to nutritious meals, which is essential for their academic success and well-being. Supporting PORCH is an opportunity for us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our local families and neighbors.” 

• We continue to add more families every month – thank you to our supporters and volunteers who make that possible! We now have 671 families enrolled in our Food for Families program – 2,558 individuals, including 1,460 children! In September, volunteers packed a total of 538 non-perishable bags, which 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 beautiful fresh produce from Transplanting Traditions. And finally, for all families – a grocery gift card. Additionally, volunteers helped us deliver more than 52 bags of non-perishables to our Food for Pantries partners.

• The Spencers pitch in with PORCH every month! “I like my volunteering to be active,” Nancy says. “I don’t like to sit, if I can help it.” “It’s nice to get out … and do something that is useful for society,” Tom says. We are so appreciative of their efforts! Get to know this couple by reading our blog post.