For months after the headlines fade, the reality of recovery is still a daily struggle for many of our neighbors in the Western Carolinas. For too many families, especially those in more rural food deserts, accessing fresh, healthy food remains a constant challenge. We saw this gap, and we knew with a little help, our community network could help fill it.
We knew we couldn’t solve this alone. That’s why we teamed up with the incredible folks at the Valley Hope Foundation. They pack and deliver thousands of boxes with fresh fruit and vegetables, and R4 initially started by providing the logistical backbone but has since stepped up to help purchase a portion of the food for these boxes as well. Our R4D2 platform routes the deliveries for much of their sourcing, and our volunteer drivers get the food to them.
The Valley Hope Foundation is just one of the many community hubs and distribution points across the region that help keep our community going. Find and connect with a supply site or community hub near you by searching WNC-Supply-Sites.com/supplies/site-list and selecting the hyperlink under the ‘Site’ column to see more supply site information.
You may ask: What does this look like on the ground?
We’d love to answer that! That looks like:
- A reliable lifeline for families working to get back on their feet.
- With up to 5,000 food boxes delivered each week during peak operations. Sometimes even more!
- The heart of this effort: Our network of 137+ volunteer drivers: the ones using their available time to be out on the road, making sure these boxes get where they need to go.
This entire operation runs on community. These days, these wonderful lifelines rely on grants and donations from people like you.
Want to support this work directly? A donation of $25 can provide a family with a box of fresh food for a week. Every little bit helps us keep our drivers on the road and our neighbors fed.