Located in the southeastern region of our service area, on the North Carolina line, Mecklenburg County is home to seven members of Feed More’s Agency Network. With a population of 31,209 and a food insecurity rate of nearly 16 percent, these agencies play a fundamental role in helping us distribute healthy meals to our neighbors in their times of need.
One such agency is the Mecklenburg Senior Citizens, Inc. A Feed More Agency Network member since 2000, this community-centric organization distributes thousands of pounds of food every month through weekly distributions and programs like the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
“There is a real need in Mecklenburg County,” said Yvonne Alexander, Director of the Mecklenburg Senior Citizens. “We are in a rural area where the people we help have a need for just about all basic human services, outside of the food we distribute.”
Focused on serving individuals 18 years and older, Yvonne and her team distribute fresh fruits and vegetables twice a week and hold CSFP and TEFAP distributions once a month.
“Things get tough for the seniors we serve, especially during the winter months,” Yvonne shared. “These folks are faced with tough choices and have to decide between buying medicine, paying the rent or buying groceries. No one should have to make that choice.”
While the need is great, through Feed More’s CSFP, Yvonne distributes a 30-pound box filled with a variety of nutritious shelf-stable food items to 320 seniors every month. Additionally, Yvonne is always looking for opportunities to develop new relationships with local organizations and agencies to reach even more neighbors in need.
“Because of Feed More, their community of supporters and our partnership, we’ve been able to reach the vast majority of neighbors who need our help, but there’s still more people in need,” said Yvonne. “Our resources are limited here and without Feed More, we couldn’t distribute as much healthy food as we do to our community.”
We are thankful to have incredible organizations like Mecklenburg Senior Citizens, Inc. by our side as we provide our neighbors with a hand up in their times of need.
And it is your support that makes our mission possible.
“The more donors that support Feed More, the more people we are able to help,” said Yvonne.
