In this episode of What's Up Wake, Melissa sits down with Amy Beros, President and CEO of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, to discuss hunger and food insecurity across the region.
Amy shares the story of how the Food Bank began in 1980 with Barbara Oates and a small group of volunteers, growing from a card table and phone in a Cary garage into an organization serving 34 counties through six locations. She explains how rising grocery, housing, healthcare, and transportation costs are affecting working families, seniors, and children, and why food insecurity is often much closer to home than people realize.
The conversation also takes listeners behind the scenes of the Food Bank's complex logistics, from moving 100 million pounds of food each year to working with grocery stores, farmers, manufacturers, schools, and community partners. Amy explains how donations such as Food Lion's contributions, locally grown produce, and even unexpected truckloads of strawberries and eggs can quickly make their way into communities that need them.
Melissa and Amy also discuss the stigma surrounding food insecurity, the importance of providing food with dignity, and the challenges of transportation and access in both urban and rural communities. With September being Hunger Action Month, Amy shares ways people can get involved through volunteering, donating, and advocacy, including the Food Bank's Plate It Forward campaign and other community initiatives.
00:00 Bloomin' Blinds Raleigh
00:32 Local Sponsor Spotlight
01:24 Hunger Conversation Begins
02:32 Food Bank Origin Story
04:52 Amy’s Path to Service
05:43 Rising Hunger Crisis
07:08 Kids and School Meals
09:22 Schools and College Pantries
10:07 Inside Food Bank Logistics
13:41 Access and Transportation Barriers
17:01 Farmers and Food Partnerships
19:02 Stigma and Misconceptions
22:05 How You Can Help
24:35 Advocacy and SNAP
26:06 Service Area and Rural Challenges
28:10 Hunger Action Month
29:04 Hope and Youth Leadership
30:30 Get Involved and Closing
foodbankcenc.org