Food Banks and Hurricanes

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina is preparing for a possible landfall by Hurricane Irene later this week.
The Food Bank distributes food and non-food essentials to more than 500,000 people at risk of hunger daily in its 34-county service area.
The Food Bank also acts as a first responder during times of a natural disaster reacting immediately to serve victims of tornadoes, hurricanes and floods throughout central and eastern North Carolina. The organization began on Monday to prepare for a possible impact of Hurricane Irene.
The Food Bank has taken inventory of the following types of items in each of its six warehouses in Durham, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, Sandhills (Southern Pines) and Wilmington: Disaster relief kits, retail size canned goods from salvage/food drives, cereal/granola/energy bars, fruit snacks, water, Ensure/Boost-type drinks, Pedialyte, paper goods, hygiene products, cleaning products and household goods.
“We are preparing to provide assistance and basic supplies such as food, water, hygiene and paper products to those who might be affected by Hurricane Irene,” said Peter Werbicki, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC. “We have already been in communication with North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NCVOAD) and other disaster response teams.”
In the event Hurricane Irene does not affect the Food Bank’s service area, the organization will be prepared to assist other food banks in the state.
The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has a long history of responding to natural disasters. With the devastation of the 2005 hurricane season, the Food Bank sent nine truckloads of relief food and essentials to help the victims of the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast. The Food Bank distributed more than 233,000 pounds of food to that area.
In April 2011, the organization distributed nearly 500,000 pounds of disaster relief product to partner agencies affected by the tornadoes in the hardest hit counties in its 34-county service area.
For updates on Food Bank preparation and to be a part of disaster relief in the 34 counties served by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, go to http://www.foodbankcenc.org/.