Need Food Assistance? Where to Get Help in Charlotte After SNAP Funding Cuts

After Congress failed to agree on federal funding allocations for the new fiscal year on Oct. 1 — resulting in the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) told state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) agencies that the government would discontinue allocation of benefits for the program beginning Nov. 1.

In North Carolina, SNAP supports more than 621,000 children who automatically qualify for free school meals.

What’s followed since SNAP benefits were cut has been a string of court rulings and callbacks that have left local leaders, community organizers and educators scrambling to ensure that our state’s most vulnerable populations including children remain fed.

On Nov. 7, Gov. Josh Stein reported that, with the help of private partners, the state had raised nearly $22 million to support local food banks across North Carolina.

“This is about a basic necessity – food – being caught in the middle of political chaos,” Stein said. “The hard-working people and families who rely on SNAP benefits deserve certainty, not confusion about whether they’ll be able to put meals on the table this weekend and the rest of the month.”

As this issue is going to print, Congress appears to be nearing a deal that will end the government shutdown. All will not go “back to normal” when the shutdown is resolved, however.

Before the government abruptly cut off access to SNAP benefits for 1.4 million North Carolinians, reporting already showed that hunger in North Carolina was at its highest point in a generation.

The Trump administration has cut $30 million in federal funding for food banks and schools across the state to purchase food from local farms. At the state level, the $9.1-million allocation of funding that allows food banks to purchase locally grown fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat has been held up while Republican infighting delays the passage of a state budget.

Food assistance programs will continue to face deep federal funding cuts thanks to President Trump’s so-called Big, Beautiful Bill, which was passed in July and called for a $186 billion cut in SNAP benefits by 2035.

With that in mind and the holidays approaching, we’ve compiled a list of food drives, food pantries, resources and other efforts that are available across the county in the coming weeks and months.

County-supported resources and services

Mecklenburg County announced on Nov. 3 that it will devote $740,000 out of the FY2026 budget to support food resources to assist residents that rely on SNAP benefits.

The county has partnered with local community and food resource leaders to expand food pantry resources, approve new emergency food assistance, provide SNAP Double Bucks incentives at local farmers markets, expand community food distribution and collect emergency food resources.

Mecklenburg County’s website included:

• Providing 28,000 additional seven-day food boxes to be distributed by Nourish Up.
• Providing about 400 weekly $50 food-only gift cards to any resident newly approved for emergency SNAP benefits.
• Providing around 2,000 one-time $50 farmers market vouchers to eligible SNAP households.
• Expanding mobile market food distribution’s food supply and service time for SNAP-eligible seniors.
• A holiday turkey distribution event at the Ella B. Scarborough Community Resource Center on Nov. 22 will serve about 1,000 households.

EBT and Double Bucks at participating farmers markets

As part of Mecklenburg County’s expanded efforts, folks that show an EBT card at participating local farmers markets will receive $50 in SNAP tokens to purchase any SNAP-approved foods from local vendors. Tokens do not need to be used on the day they are received.

Participating farmers markets:

• Davidson Farmers Market; 120 S. Main St., Davidson; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon
• Matthews Community Farmers Market; 188 N. Trade St., Matthews; Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon
• South End Farmers Market; Atherton Mill; 2000 South Blvd.; Saturdays, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Uptown Farmers Market; 300 S. Davidson St.; Saturdays, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Charlotte Regional Farmers Market; 1801 Yorkmont Road; Wed.-Sun., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Nourish Up

Nourish Up offers a variety of programs that provide access to nutritious groceries, including special diet options for specific health conditions, pick-up, delivery and in-person or online shopping where you can choose the items you and your family prefer.

Upon referral from a medical provider, clergy, human services agency, social worker or other professional, Nourish up will provide a week’s worth of groceries up to 12 times in a rolling calendar year. If you need immediate food assistance, contact Nourish up at 523-4333.

Food pantries in Charlotte

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, located at 500 Spratt St. in north Charlotte, compiled a list of Charlotte food pantries that we’re sharing here:

• Berean SDA Community Center; 1801 Double Oaks Road; 704-377-6313; Tuesdays, 9-10:30 a.m.
• Block Love Charlotte; 2738 North Graham St.; 980-288-4895; Fridays, 1-4 p.m.
• Calvary Nazarene Church; 4000 N Sharon Amity Road; 704-536-6485; 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m.
• Care to Share Outreach Center; 5232 The Plaza; 980-430-5913; Mon.-Thur., 1-2 p.m.
• Catholic Charities; 1123 S Church St.; 704-370-3262; Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-noon & Thursdays, 1-3 p.m.
• Champion House; 2230 West Sugar Creek Road; 980-415-8113; Mon.-Thur. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. & Fridays, 2-3 p.m.
• Christ the King Church; 13501 S. Tryon St.; 704-587-0073; Wed., 5-6 p.m.
• Faith CME Church; 457 Wellingford St.; 704-597-8249; Wed 4-5 p.m.
• Faith Soldiers Word Ministries; 857 Eastway Drive; 704-567-2128; Mon., 2-3 p.m. & Tues, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Feed My Sheep; 6116 Vernedale Road; 704-537-5439; Fridays, 1:30-3:30 p.m. (appointment only)
• God’s Lighthouse Outreach Church; 4409 Hovis Road; 980-309-0881; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Harbor Baptist Church; 5801 Old Concord Road; 704-596-2992; Fridays, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• Hearts United for Good; 2920 N Tryon St.; 704-626-5980; Wednesdays, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Hope Street Food Pantry; 4100 Johnson Oehler Road; 704-584-9073; find hours at HopeStreetFoodPantry.com
• If My People Mission Center; 2511 Lucena St.; 704-756-5176; By appointment only
• Kings Church Inc. Outreach; 7003 Beatties Ford Road; 704-858-7460; Saturdays, noon-1 p.m.
• Liberty Baptist Church; 3000 Sam Wilson Road; 704-399-0142; Mondays, 9-11:30 a.m.
• Lion of Judah Outreach Corp.; 3325 Donovan Place; 704-907-4076; By appointment only
• Macedonia Baptist Church; 1401 Hateras Ave.; 704-392-8496; Call for details
• New Shiloh Baptist Church; 2601 Elmin St.; 704-588-4140; Thur-Fri, 1-3 p.m.
• Oak Grove Methodist; 6440 Old Statesville Road; 704-596-4084; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-noon
• Our Lady of Guadalupe; 6212 Tuckaseegee Road; 704-391-3732; Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon
• Pineville Church of Nazarene; 8614 Pineville Matthews Road; 704-542-3618; 2nd & 4th Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Reeder Memorial Baptist Church; 3713 Beatties Ford Road; 704-802-9548 (appointment only)
• Sacred Souls United Church of Christ; 2127 Eastway Drive; 980-301-5863; Thursdays, 9 a.m.-noon (call before going)
• St Mark’s UMC; 917 Clanton Road; 704-523-7483; Wednesdays, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
• Seventh Day Adventist Hispanic; 4620 E. WT Harris Blvd.; 630-715-8041; Mon.-Tues., 3-4 p.m.
• Shalom Adonai Church of God; 1148 N. Sharon Amity Road; 704-910-0450; Mondays, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Silver Mount Baptist Church; 501 W. Arrowood Road; 704-522-1528; Tues.-Wed.; 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• St Paul Baptist Church; 1401 N. Allen St.; 704-334-5309; Every other Wed., 8 a.m.-noon
• Star Faith Ministries; 3431 Rozzelles Ferry Drive; 704-209-4197; Wednesdays, noon-2:30 p.m.
• The New Antioch Church; 8324 Idlewild Road; 704-315-0434, Tuesdays, 1-2 p.m.
• WeCare at Hickory Grove UMC; 6315 Market St.; 980-500-9352; 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10 a.m.-noon
• West Charlotte Spanish SDA Church; 5600 Tuckaseegee Road; 980-722-0438; Thursdays, 2-4:30 p.m.

To find the closest pantry to your location, go to SecondHarvestMetrolina.org, click “Get Food Assistance” and enter your zip code.