Soldiers from the North Carolina Army National Guard's 875th and 883rd Engineer Companies helped to sort, prepare and distribute food at the Mountain Area Nutritional Needs Alliance Foodbank.
Eight soldiers from the Tar Heel state joined together in the mountainous terrain of Asheville to aid in providing emergency relief to families struggling during COVID-19. The food bank is a nonprofit organization that works with more than 200 agencies to distribute food and basic necessities to 16 counties across western North Carolina.
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"Our mission is to get food out to anyone who needs it across these 16 counties, reaching even the most remote areas of our region," Mary Nesbit, the food bank's chief development officer, said. "The National Guard stepped in almost immediately to help us."
The guardsmen have been working for more than 60 days to help process donated products, conduct inventory, sort and prepare produce and distribute it to partnered agencies and local families. The donated products include fresh produce, canned and bagged goods and basic necessities such as cleaning and hygiene products.
"It's more than just food," Army Sgt. Jonathan Greene of the 883rd Engineer Company, the noncommissioned officer in charge for the Asheville emergency relief team, said. "It's a joy and a privilege. We're making a difference. … We're helping a community."
The soldiers' daily efforts also include serving packaged meals during food drives as well as serving local schools to help feed the children of Buncombe County. They work closely with cafeteria workers and administrators to help in packaging and distributing meals.
"We are operating beyond maximum capacity through this crisis, so had it not been for the National Guard, ... we would not have been able to do what we have been able to do," Nesbitt said.
The pandemic brought an astronomical hardship, particularly to the Asheville community. The MANNA Food Helpline experienced a 73% increase in calls compared to the pre-pandemic weekly average.
"When COVID hit hard in mid-March — with the necessary closing of non-essential businesses — we saw the need across our region skyrocket nearly overnight with so many people plunged into economic crisis," Nesbitt said.
An average of 95,000 people were served weekly in March through May, including a distribution of 6 millions pounds of food and 5 million meals.
"We're breaking records," Nesbitt said.
The food bank's operations and workload have skyrocketed as a result of COVID-19. The Guard has been able to help support this large increase and help make the mission possible by reaching every individual in need across western North Carolina.
"We are delighted to have this opportunity to thank all of the members of the National Guard who have come out to help us during this pandemic," Nesbitt said.
(Army Spc. Hannah Tarkelly is assigned to the 382nd Public Affairs Detachment.)
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