Dear Friends & Neighbors,
No one should go hungry, but the sad reality is this year more than 160,000 people in Mecklenburg County will be food insecure and over 19% of them are children. Many people were already struggling when the pandemic hit and inflation is now driving up the cost of nearly everything, especially groceries. Statistics show the cost of food at home has increased 16.7% over the prior year and we are currently experiencing the biggest food inflation since 1979. As a result, Dilworth Soup Kitchen (DSK) has seen our lines get longer and longer.
This year we will serve over 21,000 lunches. Additionally, we will distribute over 16,000 pounds of fresh groceries and 42,000 pounds of non-perishable foods. DSK has also expanded its outreach program and is hand-delivering food to those in need who cannot come to us. Strawn Apartments and Charlottetown Terrace, two low-income Charlotte Housing Authority apartments for seniors and the disabled located in the Dilworth area are a part of our outreach program as well as Mindful Missions, which delivers our lunches to impoverished CMS families in Charlotte. We are also providing food to an Afghan family of eight who settled in the Dilworth area after fleeing the Taliban.
With your past donations, we have been able to meet the increasing demand but still foresee difficult times ahead. We have been able to partner with several local businesses but have to purchase quite a bit ourselves. Like everyone else, we have seen supply and food costs increase dramatically. As a non-profit organization with no paid staff, we rely on the generosity of our friends and neighbors like you, and your support is more critical now than ever. Any contribution you can make will have an incredible impact and 100% of the proceeds go directly to feeding the hungry in our community. Your tax-deductible contribution can be made online at:
Click on the DONATE button at the top of the page
Mail contributions to: Dilworth Soup Kitchen, 1200 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203
Please visit our active Facebook page at @DilworthSoupKitchen to see images of our volunteers, guests, and, of course, our delicious food and groceries. There are other ways you can support if you are unable to donate at this time. You can advocate for us by sharing our mission with a family member or friend. Even a quick mention on your social media would mean the world to us.
Thank you for your continued support of Dilworth Soup Kitchen.
Best Regards,
Tom Fedell, Board Chairman, Dilworth Soup Kitchen