North Carolina Retailers Donate More Than $80,000 to Combat Hunger

Cash and In-Kind Donations Will Support North Carolina’s Feeding the Carolinas Food Banks

Raleigh, NC (April 3, 2019) – The NC Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) and its retail members donated over $80,000 to Feeding the Carolinas Food Banks today.  The presentation took place during a press conference at the North Carolina Legislative Building and included cash, gift cards and in-kind donations. This donation is made at a time of increased need, because so many are still in recovery stages from recent hurricanes.

North Carolina annually has one of the highest percentages in the nation, at 24.6%, of children under 5 years of age who are food insecure on a regular basis. That statistic seems even more critical during times of disaster. In response to Hurricane Florence, the Food Banks distributed more than 9 million pounds of additional food to the communities, equating to about 7.5 million meals valued at over $15 million.

“Our state recently dealt with Hurricanes Florence and Matthew,” said Mike Darrow, Executive Director of Feeding the Carolinas, an Association of the Feeding America Food Banks in North and South Carolina during the press conference. “I saw the tremendous support of our state governmental agencies, and the support of our legislative members and the Governor’s office as we worked together in disaster relief. Since then I have seen our Food Banks work day in and day out for our fellow citizens, fighting the daily disaster, if you will, of food insecurity. We can do this through the support of the members of the NC Retail Merchants Association, and through all of you.”

Participating NC retailers included Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, MDI, Publix, Sheetz, Walgreens, and Walmart who donated food, including fresh produce and meat, personal care products, and cash for people across the state. In addition to the participating retailers, NCRMA is also proud to give a $50,000 donation to support hungry North Carolinians particularly at a time when so many are still struggling to recover.

“Our members work with local food banks throughout the year to help combat food insecurity in a variety of ways,” said NCRMA’s President and General Counsel Andy Ellen. “It’s critical that we do whatever we can to raise awareness of this important issue facing North Carolina when nearly 1.8 million of our neighbors, or almost one in six, are experiencing food insecurity. We hope everyone will do what they can to buy extra canned goods when they grocery shop and contribute to the Food Bank.”

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker of the House Tim Moore encouraged North Carolinians to support the food banks and were joined by Senators Brent Jackson and Joyce Krawiec along with Representatives Garland Pierce, Josh Dobson and Rena Turner.  NCRMA’s presentation to the Feeding the Carolinas is an annual tradition that started in 1995.  NCRMA encourages others to donate to Feeding the Carolinas online at: http://www.feedingthecarolinas.org/.

About the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association

The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) is a nonprofit trade association organized in 1902 to improve the business climate for retailers in North Carolina.  Over 100 years later, NCRMA remains the voice of the retail industry for North Carolina.  NCRMA represents the interests of individual merchants before the General Assembly and serves as a vital link to state government.  Its credibility lies in its longevity and commitment to serving the ever-changing needs of its members.  The Association’s membership includes more than 25,000 stores from across the state whose business represents 75 percent of North Carolina’s retail sales volume.  NCRMA serves both large and small retailers from multi-state chains to local “mom and pops,” and all types of merchants including antique, apparel, art, automotive, book, carpet, department, drug, electronics, floral, furniture, grocery, hardware, jewelry, paint and variety stores.