50 projects awarded Food Distribution Assistance Program at December meeting

At the December Board meeting, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $5,540,432 in funding for 50 projects through the Food Distribution Assistance Program.

The N.C. General Assembly appropriated $10 million to Golden LEAF for the Food Distribution Assistance Program. This program is funded by federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The awards made at the December meeting provide 50 nonprofits with funding for organizations in 37 counties. See the awards below:

• $215,263 to A Touch of the Father’s Love, Inc. in Nash County for a refrigerated truck, forklift, and HVAC/related expenses for new installation.
• $104,822 to ADLA Inc / OIC of Wayne County CDC in Wayne County for shelving, scales, two pallet jacks, three platform carts, stainless steel work tables, walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer, and box truck.
• $250,000 to Ashe Food Pantry, Inc. in Ashe County for a large refrigerated truck.
• $14,550 to BackPack Beginnings in Guilford County for electric pallet jack, two hand trucks, a glass front refrigerator, pallet shelving, and four stock picker carts.
• $12,135 to BackPack Weekend Food Program, Inc. in Gaston County for three electric pallet jacks, one hand truck, and one rolling food cart.
• $250,000 to Beach Food Pantry in Dare County for a refrigerated vehicle, walk-in refrigerator, and construction expenses for building expansion.
• $65,051 to Buncombe County Schools Foundation Incorporated in Buncombe County for a four-wheel drive vehicle, collapsible totes, welded platform truck, 3-in-1 hand truck, flat shelf cart, flat shelf utility cart, stainless steel worktables, two side panel platform trucks, and rolling ice chests.
• $169,850 to Camino Community Development Corporation, Inc. in Mecklenburg County for building renovations, a walk-in refrigeration unit, shelving, shopping carts, food safety equipment, box truck with lift, wash and pack station, and a dolly and hand truck.
• $130,240 to Care & Share Center, Inc. in Franklin County for commercial refrigerators, commercial freezers, metal shelving units, prepping tables, two commercial pallet jacks, four rolling commercial tables, four rolling hand carts, storage totes/bins, and removal and installation of equipment.
• $64,748 to Central Carolina Community College Foundation, Inc. in Lee County for shelving, a three-glass door refrigerator, four refrigerator/freezer combos, two freezers, ice maker, two outdoor tents, food scales, thermometers, two folding tables and four chairs, two food carts, cargo van, two computers, and a barcode scanning system.
• $73,102 to Centro Unido Latino Americano in McDowell County for construction costs to prepare the building for conversion to a walk-in pantry and to accommodate commercial refrigerator freezer units, shelving, freezer/refrigerator, ice machine, storage containers, transport dolly/hand truck, plastic pallets, commercial grade carts, thermometers and food safety equipment, and grant administration.
• $94,700 to Chatham Outreach Alliance, Inc. in Chatham County for a commercial refrigerator, mobile shelving units, utility carts, and refrigerated truck.
• $100,330 to Christians United Outreach Center of Lee County for a walkin/roll in freezer, lift table, electric pallet jack, shelving, rolling food carts, box truck, and electrical upfit.
• $94,185 to Common Heart, Inc. in Union County for a cargo van and forklift.
• $28,500 to Dallas High Shoals Christian Social Ministry in Gaston County for shelving, four commercial freezers, two commercial refrigerators, thermometers, and carts.
• $82,500 to Eastern Catawba Cooperative Christian Ministry, Inc. in Catawba County for a truck, pallet stacker, racking system and an electric jack.
• $67,000 to Executive Center for Educational & Economic Development, Inc. in Pitt County for refrigerated cargo van and two commercial freezers.
• $100,000 to FeedNC in Iredell County for a refrigerated truck.
• $1,726 to FiveNTwo Ministries, Inc. in Harnett County for two residential size freezers and one utility cart.
• $76,000 to Food for Families NC, Inc. in Union County for a refrigerated cargo van, electric stacker, and freezer blankets.
• $17,570 to Friends of Lakewood Elementary PTA in Durham County for a refrigerator, freezer, shelving, food storage containers, assembly tables, cabinets, carts, and construction/renovation.
• $106,739 to Grahamtown Team in Rutherford County for building construction, vehicle, ServSafe Certifications, Partner Agency Fees, freezer, refrigerator, stainless steel sink/faucet, stainless steel counters, hand truck, dry goods storage shelving, coolers, reusable bags, storage containers, ice machine, freezer blankets, insulated cooler bags, and grant administration.
• $246,120 to Jones County Community Hope, Inc. in Jones County for site work, paving, 30×50 metal building, forklift, pallet jack, two hand trucks, shelving, wash station, freezers/cooler, conveyor rollers, rolling food carts, and a box truck.
• $81,100 to Kingdom Entity Resource Center in Martin County for a storage shed, electrical upfit, pick up truck, two commercial freezers, pallet jack, thermal blankets, and shelving.
• $128,943 to LOT 2540, Inc. in Rockingham County for a refrigerated truck.
• $229,910 to NOURISHNC, Inc. in New Hanover County for a Mobile Market truck/trailer customized unit.
• $211,250 to One Step Further, Inc. in Guilford County for construction of distribution receiving area, two powered stackers, electric pallet jack, two pallet rack starter units, two pallet rack add-on units, pallet rack wire decking, walk-in freezer, walk-in cooler, laptops, and wifi booster aerials.
• $118,313 to Partners in Ministry in Scotland County for a commercial freezer, commercial refrigerator, associated utility upfit, forklift, pallet racks, hand trucks, stainless steel prep table, industrial scale, two commercial carts, ice machine, two rolling carts, tents, tables, chairs, pick-up truck and a storage shed.
• $34,171.24 Pastor’s Pantry Targeting Senior Hunger in Davidson County for three refrigerators, two freezers, and associated electrical upfit.
• $56,250 to Rebuilding Broken Places CDC in Wayne County for a cargo van, dry goods storage, two food prep tables, two food scales, washing station for produce, carts, dollies and insulated bags, and ServSafe training.
• $17,400 to Ripple Effects Group in Nash County for a pallet jack, two hand trucks, shelving, covered trailer, tables, and a commercial refrigerator.
• $155,822 to Rocky Mount Family YMCA, Inc. in Nash County for building renovation/construction, van shelving, two refrigerators, a freezer, ice maker, stainless steel sink, stainless steel worktables, shelving units, two wire carts, two food scales, thermometers, coolers, and freezer blankets.
• $113,025 to Rowan Helping Ministries in Rowan County for building construction, a cargo van, refrigerators, freezer conversion, electric pallet jacks, stainless steel worktable, and dry good storage shelves.
• $38,500 to Samaritan Kitchen of Wilkes, Inc. in Wilkes County for a walk-in freezer and pallet jack.
• $25,000 to Serving Our Community With Kindness In Springwood, Inc. in Gaston County for a cargo van.
• $85,000 to Southern Alamance Family Empowerment, Inc. in Alamance County for a refrigerated truck.
• $54,820 to Table Ministries in Orange County for an electric pallet stacker, computers, tablets, pallet shelves, floor scale, Wifi booster, loading dock renovations, walk-in refrigerator and freezer, food storage bins, stainless steel tables, and rolling carts.
• $137,911 to The Corner Table, Inc. in Catawba County for a box truck/liftgate, stackable bins, storage racks, electric forklift, and electrical upfit.
• $227,720 to The Filling Station in Jones County for the construction of a building, site work, and installation of a walk-in freezer/cooler.
• $120,773 to The S.T.U.D.I.O. in Cabarrus County for one truck/trailer or cargo van, ServeSafe training, two commercial freezers, two commercial refrigerators, commercial cart, stainless steel tables, eight dry storage shelves, shelving containers, and two dollies.
• $181,950 to The Salvation Army – Jones & Onslow County for a refrigerated box truck and refrigerated cargo van.
• $250,000 to The Salvation Army of the Albemarle Region in Pasquotank County for site work and construction for building expansion.
• $87,500 to Transylvania Christian Ministry, Inc. in Transylvania County for a cargo van, van upfit with shelving, fold up pantry carts, produce cooler, freezer shelf rollers, mobile delivery bins, one door glass-front produce fridge, two door glass-front produce fridge, soft pack insulated coolers, and shelving units.
• $153,393 to Turning Point Community Development Corporation in Vance County for a parking lot pavement, building renovation, two refrigerators, two work tables, one glass door refrigerator, two freezers, one hand truck, four shelving units, two tablets, a box truck, and grant administration.
• $74,450 to United Way of Onslow County for food bins, food storage/shelving, food packing tables, and a cargo van.
• $250,000 to Washington Outreach Ministry in Cleveland County for building and parking lot expansion, exterior storage, and an electric pallet jack.
• $92,000 to West End Ministries in Guilford County for box truck, scales, and freezer blankets.
• $75,000 to Western Carolina Rescue Mission in Buncombe County for one vehicle, power stacker, and shelving.
• $63,000 to Western Wake Crisis Ministry in Wake County for a sliding glass refrigerator and freezers, pallet jack and mobile scale, mobile bench scale with backrail and LED display, laptops pop-up tents, portable produce bins, portable rolling coolers, and a cargo van.
• $112,100 to Wilson Youth United, Inc. in Wilson County for building renovation including schematic drawings, construction contractors, walk-in freezer/cooler combo, door connect to freezer-cooler combo, utility upfit, outdoor walk-in freezer/cooler, shelving, three commercial food carts, three freezer-cooler storage bins, three freezer-cooler pallet blankets and a truck or cargo van.

Funds for the Food Distribution Assistance Program may be used for grants to nonprofit organizations to assist organizations in becoming eligible to be partner agencies of a North Carolina food bank or enhancing or expanding the capacity of current partner agencies of North Carolina food banks. Funds may also be used for grants to nonprofit organizations to assist organizations in establishing a school-based weekend food assistance program or enhancing or expanding the capacity of current school-based weekend food assistance programs.

The application process for this program is closed. Golden LEAF anticipates awarding the remaining available funding at the February 2024 Golden LEAF Board meeting out of the projects received during the application process.