Our Work

Loving Foods service area map showing Western North Carolina

Where we Serve

Loving Food Resources commits itself to a future with a greater positive impact by identifying potential clients in outlying counties of Western North Carolina who have not previously received services and adding them to our client list. Partnerships with Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP), Western North Carolina Community Health Services (WNCCHS), Care Partners Hospice, Four Seasons Hospice, and personal physicians are helping LFR reach more clients in the 18 counties of Western North Carolina. Our vision is to continue to reach more people in need and provide them with the support, food, and personal care items they need.

  • WNCAP delivers 15-20 boxes monthly to Henderson County clients
  • LFR delivers 25-35 Boxes to Macon County clients twice per week
  • In conjunction with WNCAP, more than 30 boxes of food are delivered monthly to clients living in outlying counties of Western North Carolina, e.g., Avery, Cherokee, Haywood, McDowell, Transylvania

Emergency Food Boxes

One in four adults in the United States faces food insecurities (an individual or family who cannot identify where their next meal will come from). With the onset of the coronavirus in 2020, this number increased to one in six adults. The lethal nature of the coronavirus caused people to become unemployed either by layoffs, termination, or self-quarantine. 

LFR saw the impact of the coronavirus by a drastic increase in requests for one-time-only emergency food boxes beginning in March of 2020. Where we once distributed on an average of five (5) emergency boxes per month (60/yr), in the remaining months of 2020, we distributed 140 emergency food boxes—more than double from previous years. 

Loving Food Resources provides one-time-only emergency boxes that contain nutritious food, personal health care products, and personal protection items such as masks and hand sanitizer. Anyone facing food insecurity can call LFR and request these items.

LFR’s commitment to being a good community partner solidifies our commitment to providing as many one-time-only emergency boxes as necessary to help feed people in our communities who are experiencing food insecurities.

A Recent Success Story

Robin is a well-known hair stylist in Asheville, NC. She was doing fine until March of 2020, when most businesses in Asheville were closed because of COVID-19. As Robin follows all of the rules, she closed her shop. Her regular income came to a halt.

Robin called Loving Food Resources at the end of March to see if we could give her food. We told her about a one-time-only emergency box, which she was most grateful for. She came in on the same day of her call and received a 57 lb box of nutritious food which included canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and pasta sauce, rice, misc baking products, fresh produce, eggs, bread, and frozen meat. 

Since then, Robin shared that this box of food held her through a full month and a half. Without it, she would not have been able to eat.

Kenilworth Welcome Table

Loving Food Resources, in collaboration with Kenilworth Presbyterian Church (KPC) and The Food Connection, has a mission to provide hot meals for anyone in the Asheville area facing food insecurities and/or for those who are seeking fellowship over a meal in a safe, comfortable environment. The Kenilworth Center, in close proximity to the church and Loving Food Resources pantry, is a perfect location for this endeavor.

Every Thursday, hot meals are served at the Kenilworth Center. Anyone can come and select a meat or vegetarian entrée. Typically a meal includes protein and vegetables. Since June 0f 2020, LFR and KPC have served over 8,000 meals.

Street Pantry

The Loving Food Resources Street Pantry, situated on the lawn of Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, serves as a beacon of assistance for those in need. This easily accessible pantry is continuously stocked with ready-to-eat food items and bottled water, ensuring that immediate hunger relief is available to anyone who requires it. Its strategic location and open-access approach make it a vital resource in the community, especially for individuals who may face barriers in accessing traditional food aid services.

The pantry’s contents are carefully selected to provide quick, nutritious options that require no preparation, catering to the urgent needs of people who might not have access to cooking facilities. This initiative reflects a commitment to compassion and community support, offering a discreet and dignified way for people to receive help without the need for formal applications or qualifications.