We are here to help! Feeding Avery Families (FAF) is a non-profit Christian organization in Avery County, North Carolina, dedicated to eliminating hunger by any means possible including monetary donations, volunteerism, or food pantry donations. Our Operations Center is located in Newland at 189 Old Vale Road (behind Avery County Board of Education and Mayland Community College, near Ingle’s).
100% of all your efforts and/or contributions on behalf of Feeding Avery Families goes directly to Avery County families (including towns of Newland, Banner Elk, Elk Park, Pineola, Linville, Crossnore, Beech Mountain and Sugar Mountain) who still need help after exhausting all other available resources. FAF provides 60% of the food assistance in Avery County. We are an equal opportunity food provider.
We depend on some amazing partners – read all about them!
Distribution Center
Through generous support from donors and grants, Feeding Avery Families opened a new operations center in 2023, the Dick Larson Food Pantry, providing great benefits for our neighbors and dedicated volunteers.
- Client choice allows neighbors to select items in a “shopping” experience, providing greater client satisfaction and significantly reduced waste.
- Perishable items can be safely stored in multiple walk-in coolers and freezers.
- Pre-packed boxes can be prepared and stored for drive-through, remote distribution and delivery programs.
- The demonstration kitchen / meeting room can be used for sample cooking, educational programs and meetings/events.
- Equipped with a generator, showers, laundry and HVAC, the facility can be used as an emergency shelter.
Mobile Distributions
- Deliver to families in the Old Beech Mountain Community, Elk Park, and additional locations.
- Give weekend school packs to 160 children in Avery County schools. Weekly, these packs provide enough food for six meals and two snacks.
- Help stock the student food pantry at Lees-McRae College.
Looking Ahead
- Improve the health of clients and patients through nutrition education counseling and other health care services.
- Our health consultant is working on partnerships with county and area businesses.
- Look for innovative ways to reach more hungry people in our communities – even working with doctors to write prescriptions for food.
- Focus on getting more medically appropriate food to our clients with specific health needs.
Staff Members in photo left to right
- Kevin Duvalt, Warehouse Associate and Delivery Driver
kevind@feedingaveryfamilies.org - Vanessa Benavides Phillips, Program Manager
vanessap@feedingaveryfamilies.org - Bonnie Clark, Executive Director
director@feedingaveryfamilies.org - Cindy Reed, Office Manager
office@feedingaveryfamilies.org
Board of Directors
Cathy Fields, Laura Carringer-Russell, McNair Tornow, Rev. Michael McKee, Joe Zemanek, Larry Good, David Soyars, Jimmy Ennis and Tammy Woodie
FAF Annual Summaries
If you have questions, want to make a contribution, or volunteer, contact us at 828-783-8506.