Annual Pack the Pantry collects food and money

Smiling volunteers in neon yellow vests spread out across Brevard on Saturday, May 20, to engage the community in Pack the Pantry, a bi-annual food drive for Sharing House. Pack the Pantry eventually raised 5,357 pounds of food and $9,350 for Sharing House.

Shoppers contributed food and household staples at the courthouse gazebo, Ingles Grocery, Go Grocery, Dollar Tree and Sav-Mor. Donations from generous community members nearly doubled the event’s fundraising goal.

“Thanks to the efforts of Pisgah Forest Rotary Club, WSQL Radio, and our volunteers, we exceeded our goals for the event. But, most importantly, the community came together to support our neighbors, who right now are in great need of food,” said Shelly Webb, Sharing House’s executive director.

Nearly 5,000 residents will experience food insecurity this year in Transylvania County, and household food costs have increased by 11.8%, leaving many families and individuals struggling to make ends meet.

Sharing House uses a neighbor-choice model, which includes drive-through pickup, in-person shopping and mobile delivery. The pantry also focuses on produce and fresh, healthy food choices through partnerships with local farmers.

“We are so grateful for the many volunteers who made the day a success. We love Sharing House’s mission and we’ve been working together successfully for the last 20 years. I’m sure it will continue,” said Chris Keeney, Pisgah Forest Rotary Club’s volunteer coordinator.

One neighbor expressed her gratitude for the community’s response: “Thank you for helping me with food and produce. I quietly cry every time I come to Sharing House.”

For 42 years, Sharing House has been a source of compassion and crisis assistance for under-resourced neighbors in Transylvania County offering food and fresh produce, gently-used clothes, rent and utility assistance, household goods, camping equipment, hot showers, a safe place to share stories of struggle, and a refuge of social interaction and empowerment. To learn more, visit www.sharinghouse.org.