Second Harvest Food bank tackles huge task to provide food across the region

CHARLOTTE — On Wednesday morning, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina laid out a monumental job, which is to provide food across 24 counties as federal food aid remains paused.

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The CEO’s message was simple, which is that no food bank in the U.S. can replace federal food aid.

“For every meal provided by a food bank in a year, SNAP provides nine meals,” said Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. “To think that we can as a group meet every single need caused by SNAP is just not practical.”

Six tractor-trailer loads, which have about 2,000 food boxes per load, have been delivered to Second Harvest Food Bank locations in our area. Those branches serve hundreds of emergency pantry partners.

Second Harvest plans to deliver more truckloads to Mecklenburg County pantries and Nourish Up next week.

Volunteers will replenish the supply by packing 16,000 food boxes on Nov. 12 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

>> WSOC LINK: Where to get help with food assistance in the Charlotte area

Wednesday marked the longest government shutdown in U.S. history with 36 days and counting.

There’s no end in sight, because lawmakers did not vote on the spending bills Wednesday, which means people who rely on SNAP will be without funding another day.

Workers at Camino food pantry in northeast Charlotte told Channel 9’s Erika Jackson they have been seeing new people in need.

Camino requested more food from Nourish Up to meet the demand.

Nourish Up Camino’s main food source, sent over 10% more food than usual this week to help during the suspension of SNAP benefits.

Most of that food comes from Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.

Camino spokesperson, Paola Garcia, said her team saw more people than usual on Tuesday.

“What that tells me is that there are people in our community who are, unfortunately, struggling right now, and having a really hard time with everything that’s going on,” Garcia said.

Garcia believes food supplies prepared by Second Harvest will be put to good use.

“The faces and the looks of the people are just so hopeful and so thankful,” Garcia said.

Camino currently has plenty of canned good.

If you want to donate, they really need produce, water jugs, and protein.

Camino’s food pantry is open Tuesday through Friday.

Registration is recommended, but they’ll take walk-ins between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Second Harvest lays out monumental task to help feed those in need. The plan:

There is relief coming to North Carolina. The state told Channel 9 in an interview on Tuesday that 50% of benefits will hit EBT cards by the end of the week.

In South Carolina, the state guard is helping distribute food.

VIDEO: Channel 9’s Eli Brand explains Second Harvest’s goal