First round of Food Distribution Assistance Program projects awarded at August Board meeting

At the August 2023 meeting, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $2,778,721 to support 24 awards in the first round of projects funded 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 Golden LEAF Board awarded its first round of Food Distribution Assistance Program funding to support 24 projects across the state,” said Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton. “This funding, provided by the N.C. General Assembly, will be used to address gaps in existing food assistance networks. We are proud that the State of North Carolina entrusted us to assist in this important work.”

The first round of Food Distribution Assistance Program funding will support organizations located in Anson, Brunswick, Buncombe, Davidson, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Macon, McDowell, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Perquimans, Scotland, and Wake counties.

• $105,000 to the Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina located in Wake County for a refrigerated box truck.
• $103,557 to the Bounty & Soul located in Buncombe County for a farmers market truck, walk-in freezer with submeter, an electric pallet jack, two pallet racks, and one two-door refrigerator.
• $16,511 to the Bread for Life Senior Pantry located in New Hanover County for a refrigerator, freezer, shelving, and shelf installation.
• $91,015 to the Brunswick Family Assistance Agency located in Brunswick County for an electric forklift, associated forklift safety equipment, and a cargo transit van.
• $250,000 to Feed My Lambs located in Anson County for parking lot pavement and grading.
• $105,000 to Five Point Center located in Graham County for food lockers, cold storage, coolers, shelving, utility carts, and shopping carts.
• $55,000 to Givens Estates located in Buncombe County for a van and upfit of the van.
• $65,000 to Good Shepherd Ministries of Wilmington (Good Shepherd Center) located in New Hanover County for a refrigerated van.
• $235,000 to Haywood Christian Ministry located in Haywood County for site work, delivery, installation, and signage for five locker systems.
• $28,800 to Hope of Winston Salem located in Forsyth County for the upfit of shipping containers for cold storage including electrical upfit/installation, insulation, AC Unit, CoolBot System, and commercial rolling racks. 
• $235,996 to Hope Street Food Pantry located in Mecklenburg County for a parking lot expansion, walk-in refrigeration unit, and an electric pallet jack.
• $250,000 to the Interfaith Assistance Ministry located in Henderson County for building construction.
• $31,000 to the International Friendship Center located in Macon County for a walk-in cooler/freezer.
• $60,000 to the McDowell LFAC located in McDowell County for a forklift and a refrigerated van.
• $187,611 to the Meals on Wheels of Durham located in Durham County for a cooler/freezer and associated installation and upfit expenses including reworked ductwork, foundation repair, paving, lighting, scales, pallet jack, stainless steel tables, and a hand truck.
• $104,246 to Onslow Community Outreach located in Onslow County for an ice machine, pallet lift, pallet racks, an electric pallet jack, collapsible storage bins, a cargo van, and refrigeration conversion for the cargo van.
• $56,000 to the Restoring Hope Center located in Scotland County for a storage unit and a cargo van.
• $26,324 to Sandy Mush Community Center located in Buncombe County for an electrical/building upfit, cool room, packing tables, thermal blankets, u-boat platform trucks, shelving units, and for moving freezers and refrigerators.
• $121,300 to Share the Table located in Pender County for a dairy cooler, shelving, walk-in refrigerator, walk-in freezer, associated delivery/installation for walk-in items, forklift, and refrigerated box truck.
• $9,720 to Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts & Educational Center located in Graham County for a refrigerator, freezer, shelving units, stainless work tables, utility carts, a hand truck, and handi mover carts.
• $142,574 to Tarboro Community Outreach located in Edgecombe County for two chest freezers, two stainless steel carts, one forklift, one electric pallet jack, one walk-in cooler, one walk-in freezer, one refrigerated cargo van, and grant administrator salary.
• $97,775 to The Open Door of Perquimans County, Inc. located in Perquimans County for data equipment and installation, freezer units with glass doors, refrigerator units with glass doors, produce display case, pantry shelving, bread display shelving, lighting, condensing units for coolers and freezers, a low profile floor scale, two scale ramps and three utility carts.
• $250,000 to Thomasville Community Ministry (Cooperative Community Ministries) located in Davidson County for building renovations.
• $151,293 to the Winston Salem Rescue Mission located in Forsyth County for a walk-in freezer/cooler, associated building upfit, electrical upfit, and temperature monitoring equipment.

Funds 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 December 2023 Golden LEAF Board meeting out of the projects received during the application process.