Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in many communities, and the Twin Counties are no exception. However, three innovative community resources are making significant strides in addressing this problem: The Happy Hill Community Garden, Ripe for Revival, and the UNC Health Nash Inpatient Food Pantry. Each of these initiatives plays a crucial role in ensuring that residents have access to fresh, nutritious food.

The Happy Hill Community Garden: Cultivating Community and Healthy Living

Located at 1208 Gay Street, the Happy Hill Community Garden is a thriving hub where Rocky Mount residents can grow their own vegetables, increase their physical activity, and foster a sense of community. The garden offers both individual and shared plots, with amenities including multiple water supplies, regular and special needs gardening beds, a storage shed, shelter, compost area, and a mulch pile.

The garden’s primary goals are to provide citizens with the opportunity to grow their own food, encourage physical activity, and build a strong community. There are 54 plots available for rent through the City of Rocky Mount, with various sizes to accommodate different needs. Residents can get involved by renting a plot, volunteering, or making a donation. The City of Rocky Mount Parks Maintenance staff provides assistance and resources, ensuring that even novice gardeners can succeed.

Ripe for Revival: Bridging the Gap Between Farm Excess and Food Access

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many farmers faced the devastating need to discard excess produce due to supply chain disruptions. At the same time, food insecurity surged as families struggled to afford enough food. Seeing this disparity, Will Kornegay, founder of Ripe Revival, took action.

In January 2022, Kornegay launched Ripe For Revival, a non-profit branch of his company, with the mission to "revive communities through food." By leveraging a vast network of farmers and food industry relationships, Ripe For Revival addresses the gap between farm excess and food access.

"We wanted to help farmers utilize perfectly healthy excess crops by taking food directly to the communities that need it most," Kornegay explains. Ripe For Revival repurposes retired city and school buses, outfitting them with refrigerators and freezers to create Mobile Markets. These markets travel to areas impacted by food insecurity, providing fresh, local, and affordable food.

Launched in June 2022, Ripe For Revival’s Mobile Markets have become a lifeline for many in Rocky Mount. These pay-what-you-can markets offer fresh produce, proteins, dairy, eggs, and other food products at prices averaging about 25 percent less than retail grocery stores. Shoppers can pay any portion of the suggested total, ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious food.

"Our goal is to make fresh, local food accessible to everyone, regardless of their budget," says Kornegay. "We work with food banks to reach areas without brick-and-mortar locations, providing a dignified way for families to feed themselves and even pay it forward."

UNC Health Nash Inpatient Food Pantry: Supporting Patients Post-Discharge

The UNC Health Nash Inpatient Food Pantry has distributed more than 1,000 food boxes to patients in need.. Made possible by generous donors to the UNC Health Nash Foundation, the Inpatient Food Pantry ensures qualifying patients have access to healthy meal options after leaving the hospital. Eligible patients receive food boxes at the time of discharge that are customized to their medical condition or dietary needs.

Since its opening in late 2021, the food pantry has provided boxes to qualifying patients in every inpatient area of the hospital. In 2022, the pantry expanded its services to include patients in the cancer center.

Dee Battle, UNC Nash food pantry coordinator, highlights the pantry’s impact: "Having distributed more than 1,000 boxes is a testament to our commitment to addressing social determinants of health and directly impacting the health and wellbeing of our community."

The Inpatient Food Pantry helps alleviate the stress patients often feel as they transition back into their home setting. Disease-specific food boxes customized to patient dietary needs, such as healthy choice, diabetes, and heart-health, allow patients to recover at home while reducing their chance of hospital readmission. 

The boxes include shelf-stable food items provided in partnership with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, healthy recipes, fresh produce provided by Ripe Revival, and a guide to food resources and other food pantries in the community. Cancer center patients receive an additional bag with high-calorie items tailored to their health needs due to their treatment.

According to Kathleen Fleming, director of the UNC Health Nash Foundation, "By eliminating the question of food, it is our hope that discharged patients will be more likely to fill their prescriptions or acquire other necessities they would otherwise go without."

Kirby Slade, community development director at UNC Health Nash, underscores the importance of the food pantry: "Data collected in 2021 when the food pantry opened showed that 13.9 percent of the population in our service area was food insecure at that time – that means almost 14 percent of our neighbors had limited access to food for themselves or their families. That’s 2 percent higher than the state average. Much work has been done over the years and numbers are moving in the right direction for the state and counties, but there is still much work to do."

Getting Involved

Combating food insecurity requires community effort. Residents can support these initiatives in various ways:

• Happy Hill Community Garden: Rent a plot for $15 (first plot), $10 (second plot), and $5 (third plot), volunteer, or donate. Visit the garden at 1208 Gay Street to learn more.

• Ripe For Revival and Mobile Markets: Donate or volunteer to support their mission. Follow their journey and find Mobile Market locations through their social media channels.

• UNC Health Nash Inpatient Food Pantry: Contribute to the UNC Health Nash Foundation to support this vital program.

Together, these resources are making a tangible difference in the Twin Counties, ensuring that all residents have the opportunity to access fresh, nutritious food and fostering a stronger, healthier community.