The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worked with local businesses, government officials and area food pantries to bring 42,000 pounds of food to those in need.

Four food pantries in Roanoke Rapids and Rocky Mount received donations. They were the Union Mission, Angel’s Closet, Hannah’s Closet, and Tarboro Community Outreach.

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A truck from the worldwide church headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, arrived filled with 28 pallets of shelf safe food including beans, pasta, peanut butter, and other staples for local food pantries. 

New Hope Gas Company in LaGrange unloaded and stored the commodities until it could be sorted and distributed to 21 charities in 6 counties.

Members of the Goldsboro Stake of the church spent several days dividing the boxes into shipments to send out to each charity. 

Pantry directors remarked about the timing of the donations. Food pantries across the nation are being stretched thin with increased demand due to the Covid-19 virus.

When the church headquarters arranged to send the donation, coronavirus wasn’t a consideration. 

The original purpose of the food was earmarked for hurricane relief. Due to the quiet hurricane season, the church was able to distribute the food to states all over the South as a gift to help stock local food pantries.

Goldsboro Stake President Frankie Jones said, "We are grateful, as a small part of a worldwide church but also as members of our local communities to have the opportunity to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry. We hope this food will not only meet physical needs but that it will also feed the souls of those who receive it and offer hope in this difficult time.”

Community partners were instrumental in getting the food out to so many places so quickly.  The stake acknowledged the help of New Hope Gas Company, Jim Lilley of Lilley International, Representative Larry Strickland, Senator Rick Horner and Jackson Stancil of Jones Street Consulting and the members of the church for their immediate help arranging trucks to deliver the food.