Who is NourishNC? A Look Back at 2020
Steve McCrossan, Executive Director
As I reflect on NourishNC in 2020, I am going to refrain from playing Buzzword Bingo. I just can’t do it. You’ve heard these terms for 9 months now: “unprecedented times,” “challenging/difficult/any synonym times,” “pivot,” “innovate,” “better together,” “now, more than ever,” etc. They all may be true, but I’m tired of them.
I am going to write about the power of partnerships instead. This phrase may be cliché also, but it is what I think of when I look back at NourishNC in 2020. Let me tell you why.
Since March 17th, NourishNC has provided 574,306 real meals to children and their families, right here in New Hanover County. But who is NourishNC? We are certainly more than the three and half of us who work here. We are a village, an ecosystem, dedicated to providing children with the services they need to live happy and healthy lives.
- NourishNC is thousands of hours of volunteer time: in the heat, in the cold, in the rain. Day in, day out. Heavy boxes and tedious tasks. Each volunteer giving graciously of their time, all with a smile hidden beneath their mask. Thank you!
- NourishNC is school social workers and family counselors: these folks are the heart and soul of our program. They were on the front lines of caring for our community’s kids before all of this and they will be there for the long haul ahead. Simply put, our Backpack Program doesn’t and couldn’t exist without them. Thank You!
- NourishNC is donors: the 6-year-old who donated their allowance, the local business that did a giveback day, the gentleman who bought 600 board games, the civic club grant, the church food drive, the company employee giving program, the local foundation, the Neighborhood Coordinator for the Little Red Wagon program, the silent auction donation, the big check writer, and each and every donor in between. It all counts. Thank You!
- NourishNC is dozens of other nonprofits and institutions: New Hanover County Schools for more than I can write here, Team First Book and Smart Start for giving our kids hundreds of books, New Hanover County NAACP for Census coloring books, Cape Fear Museum for STEM kits, United Healthcare for COVID-19 safety kits, Be The Adult for 1,400 masks, Food Bank of CENC for tons of food, Live Oak Bank for 500 holiday stockings, Good Shepherd Center for school supplies and much more, Feast Down East, Trillium, Voyage, DREAMS, Northside Bridge Builders, and the list goes on. Thank You!
- NourishNC is the community groups that delivered food, made food, or hosted food distributions with us: Kids Making It, Coastal Horizons, Smart Start, and Communities in School for delivering our food boxes right to their kids, The UNCW Latino Alliance for delivering tons of produce right to the doorsteps of families, Creekwood Community Center for acting immediately and never stopping, El Cuerpo for the community drive-thrus, and Masonboro Baptist for making thousands of sandwiches. Thank You!
- NourishNC is local restaurants and breweries: True Blue for the awesome Gala To Go food, Wrightsville Beach Brewing for the hot meals, Craft Beer Alliance for the collaboration Gala beers, and many more. Thank You!
- NourishNC is the staff and its board of directors: Katelyn, Scott, Gage, Patti, Ray, Corey, Caroline, Dan, Shannon, Nickie, Emily, Marisa, Elisha, and Dawn. Thank You!
Now, more than ever, thank you for helping NourishNC pivot and innovate during these challenging and unprecedented times. We are better together.
Seriously though. Thank You!
You are NourishNC
