Food banks in North Carolina
Struggling families and people facing a hardship can get free groceries as well as other supplies from North Carolina food banks, soup kitchens, and pantries among other places. The distribution centers in NC listed below give out canned groceries or fresh food operate in every county across the state. Many are open daily with robust hours. Find details on food banks that may be in your area of NC below, with links to phone numbers and addresses.
- number of assistance programs, even including applications to SNAP food stamps (FNS in NC), WIC vouchers, healthy cooking classes and other support is offered. Many of the food banks are part of Feeding America. Together they give out free groceries and help people get holiday food baskets, free pet food, and other support. There are also seasonal as well as special items at a pantry, such as baby formula or free Meals on Wheels home delivery for the homebound in North Carolina. In addition, if the need is just for infant supplies, then find
free diapers and baby supplies in North Carolina .
Local food banks and food pantries in your NC county
- number of other food pantries are located across the state,
with links to counties and the pantries in them below . Find phone numbers, addressees, and more information on various centers in your city or county in North Carolina. These are specific to those regions, or find a wider ranging list below. Or scroll down the page to find other options. Beaufort and Martin County region
Buncombe County
Cabarrus County
Catawba County
Craven and Lenoir County
Cumberland County
and Fayetteville
Davidson County
Durham County
as well as the city Gaston, Lincoln, and Cleveland
Forsyth County
including food banks in Winston-Salem
Guiliford County
as well as Greensboro
Henderson County
Hoke County
Iredell County
Johnston County
Mecklenburg County
with Charlotte food banks available too
Pitt County
New Hanover County
Onslow County
Robeson County
Wake County
including Raleigh
Wayne County
Regional food, grocery and non-profit distribution centers in NC
MANNA FoodBank
provides assistance in the western part of the state and the mountains of NC. They work with hundreds of local charities, churches, and non-profit food pantries as well as soup kitchens. Programs include Meals on Wheels, Mobile Pantries, cooking and wellness classes and more. There is also a Kids Cafe & Afterschool Snack Program and other social services programs, including applications to SNAP food stamps as well as details on what surprising items SNAP pay for . The western NC food bank serves many counties. They include Avery, Buncombe NC, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Mc Dowell, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, as well as Yancey County. For information or referrals, the address is 627 Swannanoa River Rd, Asheville, NC 28805. Call 828.299.3663
NC State Extension
is in all counties. The program is also commonly known as Cooperative Extension. The offices exist in all cities, town, and counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. They run nutrition programs and often maintain local lists of food distributions and pantries. Statewide office directory is here. https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/local-county-center/ .
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
provides hunger prevention and food assistance in North Carolina and also down south. In NC, the region assisted is Anson, Burke, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly and Union County. Get free groceries, baby formula, referral to government benefits, and other resources to fight food insecurity. They work with churches and non-profits across NC and the community. It provides them with food, holiday meals, and other support, and those charities then help the low-income. Location is 500 B Spratt St., Charlotte, NC 28206. Call 704.376.1785 Food Bank of the Albemarle has many volunteers and staff. This non-profit distributes canned goods, groceries, baby formula, gift cards, surplus government commodities and other resources to churches and pantries in the region. They also hold classes and workshops, such as how to shop using Unit Pricing and how to cook (and pay for) healthy meals. Those locations then distribute the items to clients, seniors and low income families. They help residents of Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington Counties. The address is 109 Tidewater Way, Elizabeth City, NC 27906. For information dial 252.335.4035.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina
provides free food, meals, groceries and more to Bladen, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, Robeson, and Sampson counties. Both central and the southeastern part of the state are supported. Fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, and frozen goods may all be served. Or get applications to Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Summer meals, Backpack programs for kids who depend on school lunches and other USDA services. The address is 406 Deep Creek Road, Fayetteville, NC 28302. Call 910.485.8809
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
supports dozens of counties as well as counties. The cities include Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Sandhills, as well as Wilmington. There are partnerships with pantries (mobile and fixed locations), soup kitchens, and charities in those places to help feed the hungry, children, single moms and others. The non-profit partners with churches and pantries. The counties in which assistance is offered include Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, as well as Johnston. There are also local partner food banks in Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Person, Pitt, Richmond, Sampson, Scotland, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson County. Hot meals, lunches, emergency food boxes and more are passed out. Senior citizens, families with children, and the working poor can get support. The homeless in the community can get a meal. Other social services are offered too. They are the largest Feeding America affiliate in the state. Get everything from referrals to groceries to applications to USDA benefits such as Summer Feeding Program, SNAP food stamps, WIC and more. The main address is 1924 Capital Boulevard, Raleigh, NC 27604. Call 919.875.0707.
Feeding America
has information on other North Carolina food banks and free distribution centers. In total a couple thousand food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and other nutritional assistance programs are located in North Carolina. Dial 919-875-0707 to find other options in your area, or look here for Hunger Prevention services in NC , that may be near you.
Food Access Maps
are run b NC Department of Health and Human Services, the main government benefits organization. There is a database / website with links to local food pantries and soup kitchens as well as other grocery distribution centers. It is a free, statewide service. The site has maps for emergency food assistance in NC includes NC211 emergency food access, summer meals programs, as well as local food assistance programs. Here is the link to Food Access Maps , which help people locate food resources across the state.
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
also provides help in more central part of the state. The region includes Wake, Durham, Johnston, Orange, Chatham, Nash and Edgecombe counties. Mobile pantries, Meals on Wheels for the elderly or disabled and help for children who need a food on the table. There are emergency services as well as long term benefits. The main address is 1001 Blair Drive, Raleigh, NC 27620. Call 919.250.0043 for information on hours and emergency services.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina
help the low income, working poor, unemployed and others in Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyty, Guilford, Iredell, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin County. Second Harvest/Feeding America has dozens of programs and partners with local food banks and meal sites. In addition to referrals to regional pantries, inquire into applications for government programs such as WIC / Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. It is based at 3655 Reed Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27107 Call 336.784.5770.
Western Wake Crisis Ministry
covers the central to western part of the county from 1600 Olive Chapel Rd Ste 408, Apex, NC 27502. Call the center in a crisis. Emergency bags of groceries, free food, maybe baby formula and more is offered. Other aid includes holiday meals and turkeys, clothing, and snacks for students. Call 919-362-0657 NC 211 (United Way of North Carolina ) provides information on statewide and local food and meal programs. Categories and search functions are on the site. Free statewide helpline and database to find local food pantries, hot meals, and emergency distributions. Call 2-1-1 or search online here https://nc211.org/category/food/ .