Loaves & Fishes’ Food Pantry Network Continues to Grow!

Loaves & Fishes is thrilled to announce the opening of three new pantries to better serve our neighbors in need. Hope Covenant House, located in the Oakview Terrace community off of Brookshire Freeway and I-85, will serve clients a week’s worth of groceries Tuesdays and Fridays from 3-7pm. The pantry is located within what has been identified as the “crescent of poverty” that surrounds uptown Charlotte. This will also provide working clients access to another pantry offering late afternoon and evening hours.

Andrea, the first client to be served at the Hope Covenant House pantry.

Hope Covenant House is joined by two additional “mini” pantries, one on Central Piedmont Community College’s main campus and the other at Johnson C. Smith Univeristy. These pantries will serve their campus communities and provide an emergency two-day supply of groceries until they can get to a full-size pantry. Few realize how many students are juggling school while working at the same time and many find themselves in need of extra help.

The opening of these pantries was made possible by the generosity of Lori and Eric Sklut. Thanks to a matching challenge grant by the Skluts, $133,852 in donations were raised to help launch and stock all three pantries.

Below are photos from the openings of our new pantries at Hope Covenant House, CPCC Central Campus and Johnson C. Smith University!

: Hope Covenant House Pantry Coordinator Shelbra Moore with Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Tina Postel ready to officially open the pantry!

: Tina Postel showing Charlotte City Council Member Greg Phipps the pantry.

: Loaves & Fishes Board Member Jacqui Sinicrope, Crisis Assistance Ministry Staff and Tina Postel

: Pantry Shelves are stocked…

: Loaves & Fishes Board Members Ed Brea, Jacqui Sinicrope and Tina Postel

: Shelbra Moore shows off the pantry to pantry coordinators Sarah Loftin of Holy Comforter and Faye Wright of Mt. Carmel Baptist Pantry

: Eggs and Yogurt

: Sarah Loftin, Shelbra Moore and Faye Wright, 3 of Loaves & Fishes 23 pantry coordinators!

: Waiting to tour the new pantry at Hope Covenant House

: Loaves & Fishes Board Member Lee Bucci and husband Tony with Tina Postel and Board Member/Pantry Coordinator Faye Wright

: Loaves & Fishes Board Member Shana Plott

: The pantry at Hope Covenant House is officially open

: CPCC staff, students and volunteers

: Dena Shonts, Associate Dean, Student Engagement at CPCC (on left) championed the pantry for students.

: The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new CPCC pantry.

: A peek inside the new mini pantry

: Small but mighty!

: One of the wonderful student pantry volunteers.

: CPCC President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Tina Postel and Mark Helms, Dean of Student Life and Service Learning at CPCC