Meals On Wheels Durham Receives Six-Figure Food Distribution Award
Durham, NC – Meals on Wheels Durham (MOWD) has received over $187,000 in funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation to establish a food pantry at its Ross Road facility.
The funding will be used to renovate portions of MOWD’s building, purchase equipment, and increase food storage capacity. Upgrades will include a paved driveway, foundation repair, new lighting, and installation of a custom-built, 17’4″ x 8’6″ x 9′ walk-in cooler/freezer. Through newly developed, official partnerships with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and the Interfaith Food Shuttle, MOWD can now purchase — and offer to clients and community members free of charge — a variety of fresh produce, meats, and dairy products to supplement current hot meal offerings. The majority of MOWD’s clients have limited mobility and lack access to transportation, which makes accessing traditional food banks a challenge. Clients will initially receive monthly deliveries of perishable and nonperishable food items in addition to daily meals.
“The award from Golden LEAF is transformational both literally and figuratively. We will now be equipped to store and provide fresh produce and pantry items to supplement the hot meals we deliver to our clients each day,” said Meals on Wheels Executive Director Jason Peace.
The new food pantry, which will be operational in April 2024, will also be open to the public on to-be-determined days and times.
“The Food Distribution Assistance Program is a unique opportunity to enhance and expand the capacity of nonprofits working with our North Carolina food banks to address food insecurity,” said Golden LEAF President and Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “Golden LEAF is proud to partner with the State of North Carolina to leverage this one-time federal funding for a lasting impact across the state.”
The N.C. The General Assembly had appropriated $10 million to Golden LEAF for the Food Distribution Assistance Program. This program is funded by federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Funds may be used for grants to nonprofit organizations to assist organizations in becoming eligible to be partner agencies of a North Carolina food bank or enhancing or expanding the capacity of current partner agencies of North Carolina food banks. The Golden LEAF Board awarded the first round of funding in August and expects to award the remaining funds by December 2023.
In addition to Meals on Wheels Durham, the Golden LEAF Board awarded $2,778,721 to a total of 24 entities in the first round of Food Distribution Assistance Program funding. Since 1999, Golden LEAF has funded 2,151 projects totaling $1.2 billion supporting the mission of advancing economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities.
Meals on Wheels Durham is an affiliate, nonprofit organization of the Meals on Wheels America network that serves homebound clients in Durham, North Carolina. The organization’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for seniors, persons with disabilities, and other eligible community members by delivering meals, providing social interactions, conducting safety checks, and offering other complimentary services such as pet food and veterinary care, holiday gifts, and more. Learn more at www.mowdurham.org.
The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in 1999 to receive a portion of North Carolina’s funding from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with cigarette manufacturers. For more than 20 years, Golden LEAF has worked to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural and tobacco-dependent communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation, and stewardship as an independent and perpetual foundation. For more information about Golden LEAF and our programs, please visit www.goldenleaf.org.