Nearly 600 Western Wake County families experiencing food insecurity will celebrate Thanksgiving with sides, pie, and whatever else they want to put on their table thanks to $50 grocery store gift cards NeighborUp distributed Saturday with community support.
NeighborUp has seen an outpouring of support in the last month, which helped the Thanksgiving meals and the organization’s work.
“Both of our pantries are more stocked than I have ever seen in my over three years of working here,” said Shelley Hobbs, the group’s vice president for communication and strategy. “Our storage areas are stocked in Cary. We’re storing food in our workforce development center now. The amount of food is just amazing and so needed.”
The Thanksgiving effort is just one example of how the merger of two local nonprofits, Cary-based Dorcas Ministries and Apex-based Western Wake Crisis Ministry, is increasing their collective impact. They more than doubled the families served this holiday compared to past years.
The nonprofits that became NeighborUp worked together informally for decades before merging earlier this year. The new name reflects a shared philosophy: the tagline for Dorcas, which was founded in 1968, was “helping neighbors thrive,” whileWestern Wake Crisis Ministry, founded in 1983, had the motto “neighbors helping neighbors.”
Both helped neighbors with emergency funding for rent or utilities, but now NeighborUp can offer funds for replacing tires, paying medical bills, and other precarious financial situations that affect one’s ability to get to work or school.
The need has never been greater. More than 600 people applied for financial assistance and over 900 families shopped in their two pantries last month.
How NeighborUp Helps in Western Wake County
NeighborUp gives financial assistance for qualified applicants and runs food pantries in Cary and Apex. Clients can shop for their food of choice, which includes canned and shelf-stable foods, plus meat, fresh produce, and dairy products.
NeighborUp serves permanent residents of Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Willow Spring, New Hill, and Friendship, or families who have a child in a K-12 public school in those communities. People experiencing homelessness whose most recent permanent address was in those communities may also qualify.
Dorcas Thrift Shop, which will keep its same name 187 High House Road in Cary, is open for anyone to shop.
How You Can Help NeighborUp
- Donate money or grocery gift cards: NeighborUp received a large volume of food donations, so the most helpful way to support its work is financial donations. That allows them to stock specific items and buy in bulk at a lower price; to purchase dairy, meat, and other items that can’t be donated; and supports their financial assistance programs. Grocery store gift cards can be passed on to clients, which is especially helpful for families with dietary restrictions (suggested amount: $20).
- Donate gently used goods to the Dorcas Thrift Shop.
- Food donations continue to be helpful.
- Volunteer: They are always looking for help at events, Dorcas Thrift Shop, the Cary and Apex food pantries, the Community Support Center, client advocacy, and career coaching. There’s a Teen Board for younger volunteers, too.
A version of this story originally appeared in the November 25 edition of The Line. Sign up here for The Line, a newsletter for Cary and Western Wake from The Assembly Network.