Wilmington Food Bank sets new record | Children

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at Wilmington sets a new record of 5 million pounds of food. This milestone comes after a food Pantry in Pender County broke the 5 million pound mark on Tuesday, June 12, after receiving over 200 pounds of food from a food drive held in May.

Summer is typically a slow time for donations but the need is higher because 30,000 children, who are on summer break, usually receive free or reduced meals at school. This means more help from the local food bank.

"It's an amazing milestone to reach and truly speaks to the need that exists in our service area," said Jeff Rose, Wilmington Branch Director for the Food Bank. "We are able to continue to meet the need through the generous support of the community."

Distribution to the food bank has been on the rise in the last few years: 4.8 million in 2010-2011 and 2.7 in 2009-2010. Over 60,000 individuals, including 7,142 seniors and 18,338 children, living in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, and Pender counties, benefit from the food bank. The food bank is based in Raleigh and serves 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina.

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