At StayLakeNorman, we care deeply about our community and are committed to supporting it. This holiday season, many of our neighbors are experiencing challenges related to food access. If you feel inspired to give back to the place you call home—or home away from home—we invite you to consider donating or volunteering your time to the organizations listed below, each of which provides essential food and resources to residents in need during the holidays and throughout the year.
FeedNC stands for Food, Education, Essentials, and Dignity. They create connections to food, education, and resources as a catalyst for change. Their programs include Grassroots Grocery, where families can shop for fresh produce, meats, frozen meals, prepared deli foods, canned goods, snacks, and toiletries as available. Donoghue’s Open Door is a community dining room where guests can enjoy one meal per day at no charge. A summer lunch program food truck and a veteran’s farmers market are other ways they get food to those most in need.
The Christian Mission exists to break the cycle of poverty by providing crisis assistance, case management, educational programming, and community engagement. Their Client Choice Food Pantry offers free access to healthy, fresh produce, bread, deli items, meats, and shelf-stable foods. At the Resource Store, clients shop (for free) for items such as clothing, furniture, decor, housewares, linens, shoes, and more in a safe, private environment. In addition, The Christian Mission offers financial assistance for help with pending evictions and/or utility disconnections. Thanks to generous donors in the community, 810 families were prevented from becoming homeless or facing utility cut-offs last year.
Angels & Sparrows empowers families to reach their potential by providing access to food security and educational opportunities that lead to a fresh start. There are nearly 7,600 people among the towns of Huntersville, Cornelius, and Davidson potentially experiencing food insecurity. Angels & Sparrows provides restaurant-style, seated meal service at their Community Table each weekday. Guests can also shop the Marketplace for fresh food items to take home. In addition, they have an emergency pantry for families with urgent food needs and a summer lunch program for kids at risk of going hungry when school is not in session.
Bags of Hope seeks to bring hope to the Lake Norman and greater Charlotte area by supplying free weekend food provisions to school children who experience food insecurity. Each weekend of the school year, an average of 750 students from local schools receive a food bag containing 3 dinners, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2-3 servings of fruits, 2 servings of vegetables and 5 snacks. In addition, students receive extended break bags of food over Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break.
We are wishing all of our friends and guests a warm and happy holiday season with much to be grateful for and much to celebrate.
