Food insecurity is a chronic problem in Avery County and the surrounding western North Carolina area. Prior to Hurricane Helene in 2024, about 1 in 5 people in WNC –including children– did not have access to 3 square meals a day. This is significantly higher than the national average. Nationwide, 1 in 9 people and 1 in 6 children struggle with hunger.

Lay-offs at work, unexpected car maintenance or an accident on the job can suddenly force a family to choose between buying food and other basic necessities such as housing or healthcare. One bad month can be enough to plunge a household into food insecurity – but some people, including children and seniors, may be at a greater risk of hunger than others. The USDA defines food insecurity as limited or uncertain access to enough food for all members of a household to live an active, healthy lifestyle.

WNC has higher rates of food insecurity than the national average due to 4 main factors that contribute to local and regional poverty: low wages, lack of affordable housing, poor public transportation, as well as the high cost of childcare. Hunger and health are deeply connected and can be life-altering. When people don’t have enough food or have to choose inexpensive foods with low-nutritional value, it can seriously impact their health. And once the cycle of poor diet and poor health begins, it can be a hard cycle to break. Healthy bodies and minds require nutritious meals at every age, which is why FAF is taking great strides to provide more nutritiously dense foods and fresh produce.

  • Approximately 3,000 (17%) of Avery County residents experience some degree of uncertainty about their next meal during the year. This includes between 750 and 1,000 children.
  • Current programs reach less than 32% of those in need.

Feeding Avery Families is committed addressing food insecurity through a variety of Food Distribution and Community Outreach programs.

During 2024

  • Provided $1.4 million worth of free food to our hungry neighbors in Avery County and surrounding areas with weekly on site and mobile food distributions.
  • Food costs averaged only 17 cents per individual meal.
  • Served an average of 545 families (1,489 individuals) each month
  • Provided each family with 80+ pounds of food including boxes of groceries, frozen meats, produce, bread, desserts, and more.
  • Distributed 127,427 pounds of fresh produce to promote healthier eating habits.

During Hurricane Helene Recovery

  • Our food distribution increased 92%.
  • The new Operations Center, designed for serving the community during a natural disaster, quickly adapted with expanded hours and the ability to meet urgent needs while receiving the overwhelming influx of donations.
  • FAF provided household items including cleaning materials, diapers, heaters, coats, socks – along with countless bottles of water.
  • FAF passed along thousands of pounds of donations and delivered many van loads of groceries to fire departments, churches and other groups cooking for both residents and visiting workers.

Special Holiday Programs

  • Provided 700 Thanksgiving turkey boxes and 500 Christmas ham boxes with all the trimmings.
  • Gave gift cards to grocery stores and other businesses.