SECU Foundation Grant to Food Banks Will Combat Widespread Food Insecurity in North Carolina
In response to increased demands on Food Banks, and growing food insecurity across North Carolina, the State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation has made a grant of $500,000 to Feeding the Carolinas. These funds will be put to work in every county in North Carolina by the state’s seven major Food Banks, providing over 2 million nourishing meals to people facing hunger in our state during the holidays.
1 in 7 people in North Carolina, including in 5 children, live in food-insecure households, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Throughout 2025, Food Banks saw historic demand for services. Cuts to federal nutrition programs, and disruptions to SNAP benefits strained resources leading into the busiest time of year for hunger relief.
“With the increasing demand for food assistance across the state, we are pleased to offer support to ensure continued access to resources for North Carolinians,” said Mona Moon, Chair of the SECU Foundation Board of Directors. “SECU is rooted in North Carolina communities, and we express our deepest appreciation to SECU members who support this work.”
“It is an honor to accept this grant on behalf of Feeding the Carolinas, and its member food banks across the state,” said Amy Beros, CEO of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. “Thank you on behalf of the 1.6 million North Carolinians who are counting on us each and every day to be able to nourish themselves and their families so that they can thrive.”
“This is not just a grant, but an investment,” said Ron Pringle, CEO of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. “It is an investment in the health of our neighbors, in their futures, and in our farmers. Thank you very much to the SECU Foundation for your generosity and your continued partnership and support.”
“This moment brings me back to growing up in rural North Carolina with two parents who worked very hard to put food on the table,” said David Griffin, Food Bank Director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina. “This grant goes a long way to provide hope to people like my parents in rural North Carolina, that one day their son or daughter can grow up to become anything that they can be. So we thank you for providing not only assistance, but hope. Because hope really matters.”
The SECU Foundation has partnered with Feeding the Carolinas and its member food banks for over ten years to combat food insecurity during disasters and times of crisis in North Carolina.
There are seven major food banks across North Carolina, each of which partners with hundreds of local food pantries, churches, and community agencies to reach people facing hunger in every county. They are: The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast NC, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Food Bank of the Albemarle, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, and MANNA Food Bank. The grant will be distributed among each of them to ensure that it reaches every part of the state.
About Feeding the Carolinas
Feeding the Carolinas is a dual-state association of the ten Feeding America-affiliated Food Banks in North and South Carolina. Feeding the Carolinas’ member Food Banks are working to end hunger in the Carolinas. They support more than 3,700 local charitable agencies, which serve the 2.3 million Carolinians across 146 counties facing hunger annually.
About SECU and SECU Foundation
A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 88 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $56 billion in assets. It serves more than 2.9 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and the SECU Mobile App. The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services. Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of nearly $340 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.
Ten Food Banks, One Mission: Feeding the Carolinas.