Nourish Up

In May 2023, Nourish Up teamed up with Harvest Haul and Lori Brantner to help fight food insecurity in our community. Harvest Haul collects unsold, Carolina-grown produce from farmers at Uptown Farmers Market and Charlotte Regional Farmers Market and shares it with agencies like Nourish Up and Roof Above. Thanks to this incredible program so far this year, we’ve received over 10,000 pounds of fresh produce, which we distribute through home deliveries, online orders, and our mobile food pharmacy. Lori Brantner is the founder of this inspirational program. She and her group of dedicated volunteers spend hours each weekend collecting the food and then cleaning, sorting, and packing it at our new Hunger Hub for distribution. Last night, Lori was awarded Health Equity Leader of the Year at the 2024 Heart of Charlotte Awards. Her tireless work with Harvest Haul ensures our neighbors have access to the fresh, healthy food they deserve. Please join us in congratulating Lori on this well-deserved recognition!

Today is an exciting day for Nourish Up and our Board of Directors as we welcome four new Board members: Vincent Cook, Don Jonas, Cricket Goforth, and Bradley Patterson. We also honor our retiring members: Shelbra Booth, Tom Falish, Tobe Holmes, Brooks Jaffa, Amalia Reyes Juchnik, Erin Kelly, Mac Redfern, Joe Sanger, and Janelle White. Finally, Ed Brea passed the gavel to Michael Elliot as Board President. We are grateful to all of these individuals for their devotion and service to our mission-driven work. We are, and have been, in good hands. Thank you.

We are sincerely grateful to partners like Feeding Charlotte for their invaluable assistance in driving Hurricane Helene relief forward. Thanks to their help, we've sent over 10,000 pounds of essential supplies to those in need, including 800 hygiene kits provided by Elevation Church. While we remain focused on our mission to nourish our neighbors in Mecklenburg County with food and compassion, the demand for our services continues to rise. Your support is vital in helping us continue feeding those who rely on us most. Together, we can ensure no one faces hunger—whether due to a natural disaster or the daily challenges of food insecurity. Thank you for standing with us as we care for our community and beyond.

We at Nourish Up are heartbroken by the reports of sheer devastation coming out of western North Carolina. Many of those parts remain isolated without access to food, electricity, and other critical resources. Those impacted will certainly need ongoing support for the weeks and months to come. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina has begun hurricane relief efforts to all of the counties that they support and to their fellow food banks in impacted areas. Those wishing to help on the food front can certainly support our friends at Second Harvest and they will help get supplies to these impacted areas. Nourish Up will continue to support anyone in Mecklenburg County who has been impacted by the storm and those who have evacuated their homes and sought refuge here in the Charlotte area. Our customer service representatives and our social services team can offer food referrals to anyone who reaches out in our region and needs help with grocery or meal support. Donate to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina: secondharvestmetrolina.org Schedule a food referral through Nourish Up: call (704) 523-4333 or visit nourishup.org

Big SHOUT OUT to our new Grocery Home Delivery volunteer team — Guillebeau's Groceries! This band of brothers formed a team to honor their friend Jeff's memory and to make sure that neighbors in Charlotte are fed. Despite the rainy conditions, these guys SHOWED UP for their maiden voyage delivering 6 grocery routes and ensuring that dozens of families had a week's worth of groceries. And they did so in less than 2 hours door-to-door. Read more and learn how your group can get involved: https://lnkd.in/eiFu96dB

YOU can help today!

September is #HungerActionMonth and TODAY is #HungerActionDay! Want to raise hunger awareness and help feed your neighbors in need? Here are three ways you can take action: VOLUNTEER - With various opportunities to get involved, you can find an experience to give your time in a meaningful way. We have an immediate need for Grocery Home Delivery Drivers and Meal Delivery Drivers. Visit nourishup.org/volunteer to sign up today! DONATE - Your generous donation puts nutritious food into the homes and on the tables of our neighbors through our network of food pantries and our Meals on Wheels program. Explore the different ways you can give back at nourishup.org/give ADVOCATE - Using your voice is one of the most powerful and essential ways you can take action to end hunger. Share the impact we're making together at Nourish Up and help raise awareness to inspire your friends and family to join the fight against hunger. #foodsecurity #foodaccess #morethanameal #mealsonwheels

What do food insecurity, musical theater, and chicken alfredo have in common? You'd be surprised! Our recent event with Blumenthal Arts brought together the magic of Disney’s The Lion King with the heart of Nourish Up's mission. From the stage to the kitchen, we found common ground in the most unexpected ways. Read more about this inspiring day, featuring insights from the cast and a delicious cooking demo by the talented Shef Shaun: https://lnkd.in/eQrRtJb8

Grateful for the incredible support from Bethany Thomas and Scout & Molly's at their recent Shop For A Cause event! Your generosity and support are making a real difference in helping us feed our neighbors in need. Thank you!

A huge THANK YOU to Meritas Law Firms Worldwide for holding a virtual food drive and generously donating so many priority items from our Amazon Wish List! Your support means the world to us and to those we serve. Interested in hosting a food drive? Visit nourishup.org/fooddrive for more information and shop our Amazon Wish List by visiting amzn.to/3yoC2ss