This was the 27th year for the event that collected food for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina.
Food bank workers said the event couldn't have come at a better time because the need for food this holiday is even bigger than ever.
Thanks to everyone who donated this year we met our goal of collecting 6 million pounds of food for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
"It's a great big increase from last year, but it speaks to the increased need that is here in our community," said Ashley Delamar, the vice president of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
In the Bull City, the Durham Rescue Mission says donations from the food drive are a life line.
"We live on it every day," said Rob Tart, of the Durham Rescue Mission. "We count on the Food Bank of North Carolina for every day of all our people being fed."
In Fayetteville, hundreds turned out to help those in need.
"I am just overwhelmed with the outpouring that came out from our community today," said Ron Pringle, with the Second Harvest Food Bank.
For each dollar donated, the food bank is able to create five meals.
"So we make your dollar go a long way," said Delamar.
The 6 million pounds of donated items will help serve 65,000 meals this holiday season. It comes at a time when money is tight and the need is tremendous.
"People are hungry. There's not food on the table. There's not food in the pantry, and the ABC11 heart of Carolina Food Drive is changing that," said Delamar.
The food bank typically distributes two million pounds of food a month. However, at this time of year, six million pounds will only last a month-and-a-half.
If you missed Wednesday's food drive don't worry. The food bank is always looking for donations and volunteers year round.
Visit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina for more details.
ABC11 is a proud sponsor of the food drive along with Kroger, CenturyLink, and the Law Office of D. Hardison Wood.
See It On TV | Report A Typo |
Send Tip |
Get Alerts | Send us photos
Follow @abc11 on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook
