Subject: 2025 Annual Appeal Letter
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
For 17 years, the Dilworth Soup Kitchen & Food Pantry has been fighting hunger in Charlotte. What began with a few volunteers serving lunch has grown into a lifeline—now providing more than 21,000 freshly prepared meals and distributing over 115,000 pounds of nutritious groceries each year.
Every meal and every bag of groceries is more than nourishment—it is comfort, dignity, and reassurance that our neighbors are not alone. None of this would be possible without the extraordinary commitment of our volunteers and the generosity of community partners like you.
But the need in Charlotte is growing:
North Carolina is now among the 10 hungriest states in the U.S.
130,000 people in Mecklenburg County live in poverty, including 1 in 5 children.
16.4% of households here are food insecure—well above the national average of 13%.
Families are already stretched thin—food prices are up 23% since 2020, and recent cuts to SNAP (food stamps) mean that millions of people, including 1.4 million North Carolinians, now have even less money to put food on the table.
Behind these numbers are real people. One of our guests, a single mother of two, shops in our Food Pantry each month. She told us: “When I know I can get milk, eggs, fresh produce, meats, and pantry staples here, I can use my paycheck to pay the rent and keep the lights on for my kids.”
In addition to serving 200 hot lunches every Monday and Friday, our Guest Grocery Shopping Service now helps 40 families—representing 180 people. Twice a month, they shop our pantry and choose their own groceries, including fresh produce, lean proteins, and pantry staples. It’s more than food—it’s the dignity of choice. As a part of our outreach program, about 50% of our lunches are also delivered directly to homebound neighbors at Charlottetown Terrace, Strawn Apartments, and Edwin Towers—all part of the Charlotte Housing Authority.
The Dilworth Soup Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with no paid staff, meaning your tax-deductible gift goes directly to meals, groceries, and supplies for our neighbors.
Here’s what your support can do:
$125 provides a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four.
$600 serves lunch to 200 guests.
$750 provides 50 bags of fresh groceries each Friday.
You can also support us by donating appreciated stock.
Any gift amount helps feed our neighbors in need.
Please support this vital work by making your gift today at www.dilworthsoupkitchen.org (click the DONATE tab) or mail to: Dilworth Soup Kitchen, 1200 East Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203
Together, we can ensure that no neighbor in our community goes hungry.
With gratitude,
Tom Fedell, Board Chairman
Board of Directors: Gary Klasen, Anne Gildea, Nelson Haynes, Rosemary Harris, Melyssa Fleming, Suzanne Sigmon, Gregg Sumrow, Tanarge Clegg, Paul Finnen, Jolin McElroy, Jane Haynes
The Dilworth Soup Kitchen, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Your contribution is fully tax deductible. Dilworth Soup Kitchen, Inc. Tax#: 27-2281930. Financial information about our organization and a copy of our license is available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at (919)814-5400. The license is not an endorsement by the State.