As the cost of living continues to rise, many Greensboro families are feeling increased pressure just to meet basic needs. Local food access organizations — who serve as a lifeline for children, seniors, and families — are reporting record-level demand. Several partners shared that they are experiencing extraordinary increases in need, including expanded food distributions, hundreds of additional families seeking help, and surges they have not seen in more than a decade.
Why Emergency Support Was Needed
Food access partners across our community are experiencing significant spikes in demand, driven by rising costs and increasingly strained household budgets. With more families seeking help, organizations are stretching resources further than ever before — some reaching their typical annual distribution in the first quarter of the year.
Emergency Support for Food Access Partners
To help stabilize and expand essential food support services, United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) has provided $10,000 in emergency support to:
- BackPack Beginnings
- One Step Further
- Senior Resources of Guilford County (Meals on Wheels)
- Second Harvest Food Bank
Three of these organizations are strategic partners in our Community Impact & Investments portfolio, and all four play essential roles in strengthening Greensboro’s hunger relief network and ensuring that families, seniors, and individuals have access to nutritious food.
Our Role: Uniting Greensboro’s Response to Rising Need
Poverty is complex. Our response is united.
United Way of Greater Greensboro is uniquely positioned to bring people, partners, and resources together in moments like this. Rising need requires coordinated, thoughtful action — and our partnership model ensures that organizations on the frontlines receive support when they need it most.
This emergency funding helps stabilize and expand critical services such as:
- Pantry operations
- Mobile and drive-through food distributions
- Home-delivered meals
- Community nutrition programs
Learn more about our Bold Goal and our work to move 3,000 households out of poverty by 2030:
➡️ https://www.unitedwaygso.org/bold/
A Community Commitment to Help Every Neighbor Thrive
“Rising costs are affecting households across our city,” said Frank McCain, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Greensboro. “Our partners are meeting this moment with dedication and heart. By coming together, we make sure no one faces hardship alone. United is the Way.”
UWGG will continue listening closely to partners, monitoring community need, and supporting aligned solutions that help Greensboro become a place where every person has access to stability and the opportunity to thrive.
This emergency support for food access partners strengthens Greensboro’s ability to respond when families need help most.
Learn more about our integrated approach to helping families build stability:
➡️ https://www.unitedwaygso.org/our-impact/family-success-centers/
Want to help strengthen our community’s hunger relief network?
➡️ https://unitedwaygso.org/donate
Together, we can help every neighbor move forward — one meal, one household, one partnership at a time.
