Charlotte neighbors team up as "grocery buddies" to fight food insecurity
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Charlotte native Molly Kerrigan recently started a local "Grocery Buddies" Facebook group to help address food insecurity in her hometown.
Why it matters: Communities are finding new ways to fight hunger. For some, it's volunteering with nonprofits like Nourish Up or Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Being a grocery buddy is another way to help.
Context: After seeing a CNN story about "Grocery Buddies" groups connecting neighbors online, Kerrigan created one for Charlotte.
How it works: People who want to help introduce themselves on the page.
- Those who are looking for support can then reach out to a grocery buddy directly or post their situation and needs.
- Buddies may pitch in financially, deliver groceries, or provide rides — all on an honor system.
- The point is to create community connections that may not have otherwise happened, Kerrigan says.
What they're saying: "When I started [the group], I thought, 'Is this even going to work? What if nobody joins?'" Kerrigan tells Axios.
- But people did. The group has about 50 members, and Kerrigan says people from other parts of North Carolina have reached out asking how to start their own.
The latest: Roughly 138,500 Mecklenburg County residents rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Benefits have been fully distributed, per the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
What's next: Kerrigan hopes the grocery buddy system will grow, even as SNAP benefits return, and provide a network of support for the community.
Go deeper: When SNAP recipients will receive full November benefits in each state
Editor's note: We've updated this story with the latest about SNAP benefits in North Carolina.