1. What is Loaves & Fishes?
Loaves & Fishes is a nonprofit emergency food
pantry program which provides a week's worth of
groceries to people in crisis in Charlotte Mecklenburg.
Loaves & Fishes began in 1975 when a handful
of people in our community recognized the growing
hunger needs of people in our area and opened a
single food pantry to address those needs. In 1975,
Loaves & Fishes fed approximately 1,000 people.
Since 1975, Loaves & Fishes has grown to a network
of 16 pantries located throughout Mecklenburg County.
Loaves & Fishes served 73,363 people in 2006.
2. What is an emergency food program?
Loaves & Fishes was created to meet emergency
food needs brought about by a crisis situation.
Loaves & Fishes sees its mission as providing
a hand up in a crisis, not a hand out which fosters
dependency upon our program as a regular food
source. Therefore, clients are screened to determine
need and may only visit a pantry once every sixty
days, to prevent dependency.
3. How can an individual or family receive services?
Clients are served on a referral basis after careful
screening, to assure that only those truly in
need are served. Charlotte Mecklenburg Human Service
Agencies, qualified ministries, local clergy,
school counselors, and medical providers screen
and evaluate cases. After screening, clients are
sent to one of Loaves & Fishes' pantries to
receive a week's worth of groceries for themselves
and their family members.
4. What type of food does Loaves & Fishes
provide?
Loaves & Fishes has developed a list of groceries
which provides a week's worth of nutritionally
balanced meals as determined by a registered dietitian.
Groceries include fresh meat and eggs.
5. Who works for Loaves & Fishes?
The vast majority of Loaves & Fishes' work
is done by over 600 volunteers actively involved
in our program. Their duties include purchasing
food, stocking pantry shelves, portioning the
food into requirements established by dietitians,
and serving our clients. Volunteers staff the
telephone center, which takes referrals and forwards
them to the appropriate pantry to serve the client.
Loaves & Fishes has a staff of four full-time
equivalent people who work in the administrative
office and 2 full-time staff working in our warehouse.
A Board of Directors
sets policies and is responsible for fund raising.
6. What is the difference between Loaves &
Fishes and a food bank?
Loaves & Fishes is a network of emergency
food pantries which provides food directly to
hungry people in Mecklenburg County. A food bank,
such as Second Harvest Food Bank, is a regional
food recovery program which gathers and warehouses
surplus products donated by the food industry.
Food banks usually serve an entire region, and
provide shopping privileges to emergency food
programs like Loaves& Fishes and other non-profit
agencies. Food banks do not feed hungry people
directly, but rather distribute food via other
agencies such as Loaves & Fishes, soup kitchens,
and shelters.
7. Is Loaves & Fishes a United Way Agency?
No. Because Loaves & Fishes fills such a basic
need in our community providing emergency food
- we have been fortunate to receive sufficient
support from individuals, corporations and churches
concerned about local hunger issues, without becoming
affiliated with any large regional or national
organization.
8. What are the sources of Loaves & Fishes
food and funding?
Individual Donations, Corporations, Foundations,
Congregations, CWS/CROP Hunger Walk (citywide
fund-raising walk in October), Loaves & Fishes'
Annual February Food Drive, National Association
of Letter Carrier's Food Drive (annual Food Drive
in May, sponsored by Post Office), Thanksgiving
Food Drive (Charlotte/Mecklenburg School System
Food Drive), Federal Emergency Management Act
(total amount of fund allocated to direct food
purchases).
9. Does Loaves & Fishes have an annual audit?
Yes. The accounting firm of Greer & Walker
conducts our annual professional audit. Copies
of the audit are on file at the Loaves & Fishes
administrative office.
10. What does Loaves & Fishes need?
Nonperishable foods (click
here for priority needs list), volunteers,
upright frost free freezers and refrigerators
in good working condition, and funds
to purchase food for clients and to subsidize
warehouse and food delivery costs.
Please note that we cannot accept donations of
home prepared food, refrigerators & freezers
not in good working order, chest freezers, clothing
or furniture.
11. How do I conduct a food drive?
Loaves & Fishes is in need of food throughout
the year. Click
here for information on How to conduct
a food drive.
12. How do I get more information about Loaves
& Fishes?
For more information about Loaves & Fishes,
and how you, your business or organization can
help with food contributions, tax-deductible donations,
in-kind donations, and volunteer opportunities,
please call or write:
Loaves & Fishes
P.O. Box 11234
Charlotte, NC 28220
704-523-4333
contact@loavesandfishes.org
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