Every Thursday evening, volunteers with the Hunger Coalition of Transylvania County (HCTC) arrange a row of tables outside of Rosman Elementary School. They unload their truck full of donated food and place flowers along the tables. They station themselves behind the tables to greet people and help them pick out their food. And the end of the line they set up a cooking demo, where they show clients how to prepare a simple, nutritious recipe with the foods they receive.

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HCTC decided to start this mobile food pantry after they realized there was a significant gap in the food available to people of western Transylvania County. Most people live in a rural food desert, meaning they have to travel more than 10 miles to the nearest grocery store. Many don’t have access to transportation, so they are unable to drive even 10 miles to get food. Through a survey of local food pantries, HCTC learned that although there are food pantries throughout the county, many are only open once a month. At the same time, one food pantry in the area had more produce than they could give away.

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In a typical week, HCTC receives food from Manna Foodbank, Anchor Baptist (another food pantry in the area), and local gardens. The donations they typically receive include:

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• Canned goods

• Dried goods, such as crackers, rice, and pasta

• Produce

• Cat and dog food

• Food storage containers

• Cooking Equipment

• Reusable Grocery Bags

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The mobile food pantry helps Transylvania County residents, especially those with limited transportation, have better access to healthy foods, along with the knowledge and equipment needed to prepare them.