WRAAP, Food Bank distribute meals ahead of Thanksgiving

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Wilmington’s Residential Adolescent Achievement Place (WRAAP) and the Wilmington branch of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC teamed up Wednesday to distribute roughly 15,000 pounds of food to those in need.

WRAAP Executive Director Daryl Dockery said the event was aimed at not only nourishing the bodies of those in the community facing food insecurity, but make connections as well.

“Because of the pandemic, there’s been a increase in food shortages,” he said.

Nonprofit group Feeding America estimates that despite trends in recent years improving matters, the pandemic and the resulting job losses have cast millions of people in the United States into food insecurity—meaning they don’t have a steady supply of nutrition to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

“There’s a lot of families who are facing food shortages, maybe loss of a job. And so what we’re trying to do is address some of those needs, and trying to show people that we care and we support them during the holiday period,” Dockery said.

Other organizations are distributing food throughout the holiday weekend.

Copyright 2020 WECT. All rights reserved.