Stories

Each month, SHARE Charlotte provides a series of highlights on local nonprofits who are doing great work for a cause that may be close to your heart.  We call this series #SpotlightOnCLT and we hope it helps you get involved in ways that matter most to you - you can attend events, donate, or volunteer! Most of all, our goal is for you to be more educated about issues in our city and region. 

This June, we're focused on Food Equity. 

In Charlotte - like many cities across the country - access to fresh, nutritious food isn’t equal across all neighborhoods. Some communities must travel long distances or rely on limited public transit just to reach a full-service grocery store. Others are surrounded by fast food chains and corner stores that offer few healthy options.

This disparity doesn’t just affect what’s for dinner - it contributes to long-term health inequities, especially for children, seniors, and those managing chronic health conditions. Without access to nourishing food, it’s harder to thrive, and entire communities can face greater risks of diet-related illnesses.

That’s where the local nonprofits featured in our #SpotlightOnCLT: Food Equity Guide step in to make a real difference. Through mobile markets, community fridges, neighborhood gardens, culturally relevant food pantries, and meal delivery services, these organizations offer creative, community-rooted solutions. They’re not just addressing immediate hunger—they’re championing systemic change, empowering residents, and laying the groundwork for long-term food security and independence.

#SpotlightOnCLT Food Equity is presented by our friends at FeedNC. Learn about their Summer Hunger Food Drive and Summer Programs for Children. 

Note: By clicking the buttons for each organization, you can access contact information, volunteer interest forms, social media pages, and upcoming events. We hope you will! 

FeedNC
FeedNC—short for Food, Education, Essentials, and Dignity—serves neighbors across four counties with 20+ innovative programs tackling food insecurity. We distribute supplemental groceries weekly, offer nutrition and workforce development workshops, and spearhead food-waste reduction initiatives. By connecting individuals to vital resources and opportunities, FeedNC promotes health, economic mobility, and community resilience. 

Care Ring Food Pantry
Care Ring is an official food pantry site for Nourish Up. Referred patients, and other members of the community, can get help with up to one week's supply of free groceries at a time - including fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products and meats - that they can shop for themselves or with help from our volunteers and staff.
 

Block Love Charlotte
Block Love Charlotte serves Charlotte’s houseless community through daily street outreach and our Day Service Center at 2738 N. Graham Street. Guests can access computers, housing navigation, coordinated entry assessments, and support groups, or connect with partner organizations. We also maintain a daily food pantry and free clothing closet. Evening dinners are served Monday–Friday and Sunday at 5:30 p.m., and every 2nd and 4th Saturday we host a grocery giveaway from 12 – 2 p.m. Our comprehensive services are designed to meet immediate needs and foster long-term stability for those experiencing homelessness.

The Park Community Development Corporation
The Park CDC combats food injustice in West Charlotte through produce distribution, hands-on gardening workshops, and horticulture education. By teaching residents of all ages to grow nutrient-dense foods and offering nutrition literacy programs, we empower youth, adults, and seniors to improve their diets, health habits, and overall well-being. Our holistic model blends practical gardening skills with health education, fostering food independence and community resilience one garden bed at a time.

The Muggsy Bogues Family Foundation
The Muggsy Bogues Family Foundation strengthens underserved families by addressing food security, educational support, and workforce readiness across Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Through direct service programs and strategic partnerships, we dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity. Our food equity initiatives include regular distribution events, support for community pantry development, and outreach projects that ensure families receive consistent access to nutritious meals delivered with dignity and respect.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina operates a regional warehouse and four branch hubs (Salisbury, Hickory, Spartanburg, Williamston), distributing food and household essentials through 950+ partner agencies across 24 counties. Our network includes soup kitchens, emergency pantries, shelters, senior centers, and daycare programs. In FY 2023–24, we distributed nearly 90 million pounds of food—over 54 million pounds of fresh produce, meat, and dairy—ensuring vital nutrition reaches people facing hunger throughout our region.

Feast for Good
Feast for Good delivers specially prepared meals to cancer patients, partnering with local chefs and restaurants to source nutritious, flavorful dishes. Inspired by our Founder’s leukemia journey, we overcome barriers—financial, physical, or logistical—to ensure patients receive nourishing meals during treatment. By reducing stress around food access, our program allows individuals to focus on healing, supported by recipes and meal plans designed for taste, nutrition, and dignity.

Zealous Empowering Nurturer (ZEN)
ZEN tackles food insecurity in Charlotte by combining community gardening, nutrition education, and fresh-food distribution. Serving youth, families, and seniors in underserved neighborhoods, we provide access to locally grown produce, teach gardening best practices, and build health literacy. Key programs—including our Mobile Market Pop-Up Pantry, school garden partnerships, and Lula’s Garden Club for seniors—foster self-reliance, informed food choices, and social connection, cultivating nourishment and community healing.

Nourish Up
Through a network of more than 40 food pantries all across Charlotte and as the primary Meals on Wheels program in Mecklenburg County, Nourish Up (formerly Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays) aims to lift our community through food and compassion, providing access to fresh, healthy, nutritionally-balanced food to neighbors in need. We cannot nourish our neighbors in need without neighbors like you.

Feeding Charlotte
Feeding Charlotte rescues surplus prepared foods from professional kitchens and redistributes them to local feeding programs via a dedicated volunteer network. By intercepting safe, ready-to-eat meals that would otherwise go to waste, we bridge the gap between excess and need. Our swift logistics and passionate volunteers ensure rescued food reaches shelters, pantries, and community partners, reducing hunger and food waste in Charlotte.

Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte 
Catholic Charities’ Charlotte Food Pantry offers more than groceries; we provide hope and dignity to neighbors facing hunger. Clients shop for balanced food based on their needs, and our supportive staff create an atmosphere of respect and care. As one participant shared, “You didn’t feel like a charity case—you felt they love you.” Through regular distributions and outreach, we deliver nourishment and compassion to those in crisis.

The Bulb
The Bulb operates barrier-free, choice-based mobile farmers markets that bring fresh produce directly to underserved Charlotte neighborhoods—no ID, payment, or referrals required. Partnering with nonprofits and community leaders, we combine nutrition education, sustainable farming, and food rescue to promote health and resilience. In 2024, we served nearly 17,000 guests across 369 markets, distributing over 377,000 pounds of produce and driving improvements in diet and well-being.

Ausie & Martin Rivens Community Center
Our Little Free Pantry is the only registered 24-hour food access point in the Cornelius/Lake Norman area. We partner with faith-based groups to stock the pantry and identify family needs. Monthly chef-led workshops demonstrate healthy, affordable cooking, complete with recipe cards, spice kits, and hands-on instruction. This project combines emergency food access with community education to inspire lasting healthy eating habits.

Changing Lives Outreach Center CDC
Changing Lives Outreach Center is a faith-based nonprofit serving families, seniors, and youth in Charlotte’s food deserts. Through curbside and mobile food banks, we deliver fresh groceries to those with limited transportation or access. Volunteer engagement, strategic partnerships, and community events strengthen food equity and restore dignity. Our holistic support initiatives address immediate hunger while building pathways to long-term well-being, one family at a time.

FOODiversity
FOODiversity is the national nonprofit championing safe, nutritious food access for those with medically necessary dietary restrictions, including allergies, celiac disease, and alpha-gal syndrome. Since 2020, we’ve partnered with hunger relief agencies to provide tailored food packages, offer educational resources, and advocate for inclusive policies. Our mission ensures that no one must choose between their health and their next meal.

Champion House of Care – Project One
Project One’s food pantry emphasizes fresh fruits and vegetables for seniors and families residing in Sugar Creek Corridor hotels, where food insecurity is acute. We tailor distributions to meet the unique dietary needs of our clients, delivering balanced meals that support health and resilience. Through outreach and community partnerships, we focus on those most at risk to strengthen neighborhood well-being.

Anderson Outreach
Anderson Outreach addresses summer hunger among equity-impacted youth by hosting five free meal events and an annual back-to-school bash featuring food, fun, and grocery/gas card giveaways. Recognizing that many children lose school-based meals over the break, we ensure they can access nutritious meals alongside enrichment activities. Our holistic approach supports family stability and youth success year-round.

Roots in the Community Market Foundation
R.I.C.’s Market Foundation is developing Charlotte’s first full-service nonprofit grocery store to tackle food insecurity through improved access, affordability, and education. In the meantime, we provide holiday treats and healthy snacks to unhoused children and deliver meal support to cancer patients and survivors. Our vision is a community where everyone can shop, learn, and thrive.

Lifeline Charlotte
Lifeline Charlotte brings volunteers together to pack nutritious, shelf-stable meals for local and global distribution. In just one hour, teams can assemble thousands of meals, offering hope and sustenance to those facing hunger. This effort is part of our broader mission to inspire action, end hunger, and empower individuals to live out their purpose in community transformation.

Esther’s Heart for Transformation Ministry, Inc.
Esther’s Heart serves families along the Sugar Creek/I-85 Corridor with weekly weekend meal bags and essential resources. Through consistent outreach, we provide nourishment alongside faith-based support, helping community members navigate challenges with compassion and practical aid.

The Ada Jenkins Center
The Ada Jenkins Food Pantry invites clients to shop from a nutritionally balanced list in a grocery-style setting. Our on-site Community Refrigerator offers free, no-questions-asked produce around the clock. Healthy Initiatives programming includes cooking classes on meal prep, portion sizes, and general nutrition, now open to all community members—promoting informed choices and lasting wellness.

Bags of Hope
Bags of Hope combats childhood hunger by supplying weekend food bags to over 750 students at 34 Lake Norman and Charlotte-area schools. Each bag contains meals and snacks to sustain children from Friday through Monday and during school breaks. By addressing the 1 in 6 students facing food insecurity in Mecklenburg County, we work to remove barriers to learning, growth, and health.

The Males Place, Inc.
The Males Place is a 30-year mentorship organization for boys ages 12–18 in West Charlotte. We integrate leadership development with food justice by producing, processing, and distributing seasonal organic produce through an equity- and sovereignty-focused model. Our youth gain practical agricultural skills, nutrition knowledge, and the confidence to lead community change.