Our Wake County Food Security Work: 17 Million Meals Distributed and Counting

During the last couple of weeks at Freshspire, we have been compiling annual data from our collaboration with Wake County during 2022. When we add up all the numbers, it’s hard not to be amazed by the hard work that our North Carolina community members have put into food security efforts. In 2022 alone, our partners have distributed over 2.75 million meals to families in Raleigh, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs and beyond. Since our reporting at the beginning of the pandemic, March 2020, they have distributed over 17 million meals. 

The Wake County government has reported that 12% of its population experiences food insecurity which is approximately 138,000 people. Our partners include churches, YMCAs, schools, food pantries, and community centers that distribute through community and home deliveries, drive-thru pickups, and by serving hot meals with their youth and family programs. The 2.75 million meals include produce boxes, which contain meats, dairy, eggs, produce and shelf-stable items for families to cook meals. Ingredients are donated by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, purchased at local farms including Gabor Farms, Four Oaks Farm, Chickadee Farms, Sweet Peas Urban Gardens, 4M farms, Black Farmers Market and beyond. Freshspire has also continued work with Orange County and the private sector.

I majored in Food Systems in college, and have interned with food banks, worked on farms and in restaurants and was excited to connect with a food software company focused on local food purveyors. When I initially reached out to Freshspire in September of 2022, I didn’t realize that their work spanned beyond software and that they had a contract with Wake County to track food distribution within the community. It has been amazing to see a small, start-up tech company collaborating with local partners; both utilizing their strengths in community support and data to strengthen and feed their community, both supported by government funding. I have thoroughly enjoyed compiling all the data on food distribution and food purchasing in the past four months and am excited to see the impact our Wake County partners will have on our community in 2023.