Grocery costs have risen 12% in the last month. These Charlotte food pantries help those in need

As the inflation rate reaches 40-year highs, many Charlotte residents are struggling to afford food.

Consumer prices rose by 8.6% in May – the fastest pace since 1981 – and faster than April’s year-over-year surge of 8.3%, according to federal data.

Though food insecurity has always been an issue, more people are turning to food pantries to get the groceries they need.

Sue Bruce, the marketing and events director for Loaves & Fishes and Friendship Trays, an organization that provides groceries and meals through a network of food pantries, said she has noticed a significant increase in the number of people visiting their food pantries over the last few months.

“We saw a 16% increase month-over-month of visits to our pantries from April to May, so that says a lot,” Bruce said. “Usually March and April is a slower time of year, but this year we saw a jump.”

Despite the increasing demand, the organization plans to stick to its regular schedule, with more than 30 food giveaways scheduled for this week alone.

“We just want people to be fed,” said Bruce.

If you or someone you know is in need of groceries, here are some food pantries you can visit in the Charlotte area.

Loaves & Fishes and Friendship Trays

Loaves & Fishes, which recently merged with Friendship Trays, provides a week’s worth of groceries to eligible families. There are more than 30 pantry locations in the Charlotte area that distribute on scheduled days.

Referrals are required to receive emergency food boxes from their pantries and can be made by a professional from an approved human service organization, government agency, school or medical entity, according to the organization’s website.

First-time referrals can also be made by its on-site social services coordinator who can help connect people with other support services.

The professional making the referral will need to provide names and birth dates for each person in your household that will receive food, as well as your address and contact information in case an appointment needs to be rescheduled.

Any professional familiar with your situation can call the organization at 704-523-4333. Phone lines are open from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina

Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina serves multiple food pantry locations throughout the Charlotte area:

• Berean Seventh-Day Adventist Community Center, 1801 Double Oaks Rd., Charlotte, NC 28206

• Calvary Nazarene Church, 4000 N Sharon Amity Rd., Charlotte, NC 28205

• Care to Share, 5232 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28215

• Catholic Charities, 1123 S. Church St., Charlotte, NC 28203

• Faith CME Church, 457 Wellingford St., Charlotte, NC 28213

• Faith Soldiers Word Ministries, 857 Eastway Dr., Charlotte, NC 28205

• Feed My Sheep, 6116 Vernedale Rd., Charlotte, NC 28212

• Harbor Baptist, 5801 Old Concord Rd., Charlotte, NC 28213

• Hickory Grove Baptist Church, 7200 E. W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28215

• Hickory Grove United Methodist Church, 6401 Hickory Grove Rd., Charlotte, NC 28215

• Hope Street Food Pantry, 4100 Johnston Oehler Rd., Charlotte, NC 28269

• If My People, 2506 Lucena St., Charlotte, NC 28206

• Liberty Baptist Church, 3000 Sam Wilson Rd., Charlotte, NC 28214

• New Hope Baptist Church, 7841 Idlewild Rd., Charlotte, NC 28212

• New Shiloh Baptist Church, 2600 Elmin St., Charlotte, NC 28208

• Pineville Church of Nazarene, 8614 Pineville-Matthews Rd., Charlotte, NC 28226

• Oak Grove UMC, 6440 Old Statesville Rd., Charlotte, NC 28269

• Reeder Memorial Baptist Church, 3725 Beatties Ford Rd., Charlotte, NC 28216

• Robinson Presbyterian Church, 9424 Harrisburg Rd., Charlotte, NC 28215

• Shalom Adonai Church of God, 1148 N. Sharon Amity Rd., Charlotte, NC 28211

• Silvermount Baptist Church, 501 W. Arrowood Rd., Charlotte, NC 28217

• St. Paul Baptist Church, 1401 Allen St., Charlotte, NC 28205

Before visiting a pantry, you should call ahead to ask for hours of operation and requirements to receive assistance.

This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 6:00 AM.

Evan Moore

The Charlotte Observer

Evan Moore is a service journalism reporter for the Charlotte Observer. He grew up in Denver, North Carolina, where he previously worked as a reporter for the Denver Citizen, and is a UNC Charlotte graduate.