Grants to church food pantries promote
relationships with local farmers, restaurants
Richfield United Methodist Church in Richfield, North Carolina, was one of the early recipients of a grant that connects church food pantries in the state with local farmers and restaurants. (Photo courtesy of Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA)
A grant program for rural United Methodist Churches in North Carolina aims to help congregations see their food pantry ministries within the larger picture of hunger in America.
The project, called Come to the Table, offers mini-grants of up to $1,000 to rural Methodist churches in North Carolina that are providing nutrition assistance to food-insecure families. It’s funded through the Duke Endowment.
Michelle Osborne, program manager for faith-based partnerships at the Rural Advancement Foundation International USA, which administers the project, said the grants must be spent on purchases from local farmers, restaurants, or businesses, not from national chains.
