Updated: August 8, 2024
Communities in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina are now experiencing storm surges, potentially historic rainfall levels, and flash flooding. Feeding Florida and Feeding the Carolinas are supporting local response efforts with existing and pre-staged disaster supplies.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC is keeping in touch with our partner agencies and standing by to address needs related to services for families and their organizations. In addition, we are working with Feeding the Carolinas to support response and recovery planning activities, including working with our retail grocery partners to ensure Food Banks are well-positioned to respond quickly, if needed.
As Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot shared at the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster conference in May, our network’s profound way of showing up in times of disaster connects us more deeply to communities and to each other.
On Monday, August 5, 2024, Governor Roy Cooper signed an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency ahead of expected severe weather. Tropical Storm Debby is severe and impacting communities across the Southeast. Tragically, this storm has already caused loss of life and brings a major threat of flooding; wind gusts up to 40 mph, and other effects. As we go about our daily lives, let us keep our neighbors whose lives have been upturned in focus. Here at Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, we give thanks that the Feeding America Food Bank Network is well-prepared to respond in times of disaster.
Members of Feeding the Carolinas, the state association of North and South Carolina food banks including ours, remain in regular contact and have already been activated - water is being staged and disaster meal boxes are being assembled. Eric Aft, our CEO, is on daily calls with our sister food banks, and we are evaluating our role in both disaster response and, in the weeks to come, recovery efforts.
As always, we and our sister food banks in NC and SC, along with critical support from Feeding America, are well-positioned to act to assist our neighbors during this time.
While our Food Bank is not conducting any disaster-related collection efforts at this time, we stand ready to activate in response to emerging needs elevated by our state association and Feeding America. As needed, we will certainly request additional support and assistance from the community. Because of your past support, we have been able to stage water and food to support initial response efforts.
If your or your organization wished to make a donation, whether to our food bank, a sister food bank, or other responding organizations, we strongly encourage financial donations for the reasons noted below. As well, it is important to note that any donations to our food bank around disaster response will be directed to LOCAL response efforts in the 18 counties across Northwest North Carolina. Why Financial Donations:
Financial donations offer food banks, pantries, and meal programs the most flexibility in obtaining the most needed resources.
Financial donations will help put experienced disaster responders on the ground and give them the tools they need to help survivors recover.
With cash donations, responders can purchase food, water, medicine, and equipment from secure and familiar supply chains, including local sources locally. This can even help rebuild local economies that are directly impacted by a disaster by investing in local stores and businesses in those areas.
Stay turned to this blog and our social channels for updates related to Tropical Storm Debby response efforts.
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