The results are in! Common Heart’s 5th annual Hunger Walk fundraiser drew 263 participants and raised $40,000. That’s enough to provide a week’s worth of groceries to 1,600 local hungry families!

To put that in perspective, Common Heart food pantries are currently serving an average of 1,230 families each month. 

The top fundraising teams this year were: St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church ($5,915), Threshold Church ($3,616) & New City Church ($3,250).

This year, walks were held in Indian Trail at Crooked Creek Park and in Marshville at the Marshville Municipal Park. The addition of the Marshville location was close to Common Heart’s new Empowerment Center which houses a food pantry warehouse and is the home of its economic empowerment programs helping families break the cycle of poverty. 

“We were so thrilled with the support we received from our Marshville neighbors by adding this new Walk location closer to home,” said Ginger Tucker, Empowerment Center Manager. “The event was a great way to introduce ourselves to the town while raising money for the food pantries we host every week in eastern Union County.”

Due to the pandemic, Common Heart food pantries have seen a dramatic increase in the number of families seeking help since 2020. In 2021, Common Heart provided a week’s worth of groceries to 10,861 individuals an average of 12 times. The number of total individuals served between 2020 to 2021 went down by almost 7,000 people, but the frequency of families getting groceries more than tripled. 

According to Feeding America, it’s estimated that 26,500 people are food insecure in Union County – that’s over 10% of Union County’s population. A donation of just $25 to Common Heart provides a week’s worth of groceries for one local family in need.