As 2025 headed to a close, families and the agencies who served them were frightened. The rising costs of food coupled with actions affecting SNAP benefits were putting the squeeze on families here. Lines at food pantries were long, and no one could bear sending people home without what they needed. Ensuring that everyone in Wilkes has access to their next healthy meal was, and remains, a critical need, with nearly one in five households relying on SNAP benefits to help put food on the table.

The Health Foundation works alongside community partners to strengthen food access across the county. Through this collaborative effort, the Foundation has provided Food Lion and IGA gift cards for families and supported the Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office in distributing food during Thanksgiving.

Your generous response to our funding request also helped purchase infant formula for the Partnership for Children and provided resources to the Blue Ridge Opportunity Corporation (BROC) and Wilkes Senior Center to supply food at its three Wilkes County distribution sites. Together, these partnerships help ensure that individuals and families struggling to make ends meet receive timely, practical support when they need it most.

We continue to work with our partners to meet ongoing needs, and recently purchased grocery store gift cards to be distributed by the Wilkes County school social workers and infant formula for the Wilkes County Partnership for Children.