The Orange County Board of Commissioners will decide on November 6 whether to transfer up to $54,000 from the county’s Social Justice Reserve. The funds would provide additional support to local organizations that help residents facing food insecurity.
County Manager Travis Myren has recommended a budget amendment that would allocate $15,000 each to Inter-Faith Council for Social Services and Orange Congregations in Mission. PORCH Chapel Hill/Carrboro and PORCH Hillsborough would each receive $12,000.
If the funding is approved, it will help these groups continue their food service and distribution events throughout the county. Two upcoming emergency food distributions are planned: on Saturday, November 8 from noon to 4 p.m. at McDougle Middle School in Chapel Hill, and at 10 a.m. the same day at 113 Mayo St., Hillsborough (in the Orange County DSS parking lot). Both are drive-through events open to all residents; those without vehicles will also be served.
Residents can find information about transportation services by visiting orangecountync.gov/transportation or calling 919-245-2008.
Orange County officials encourage community members to help by donating to local food pantries, volunteering at meal programs, and sharing updates from verified sources. “Together, we can ensure that no one in our community goes hungry during this federal funding interruption.”
More details about supporting local food pantries are available at https://orange.ces.ncsu.edu/foodsecurity/how-to-host-a-food-drive/.
Those needing immediate assistance can contact Orange County DSS at (919) 245-2800 or email dssinfo@orangecountync.gov. A full list of resources is online at go.ncsu.edu/feedorangecounty.
The move comes as many residents face delays or reductions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also called Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), due to a federal government shutdown starting November 1. In North Carolina, benefits are distributed every other day between the third and twenty-first of each month based on recipients’ social security numbers. Some families began experiencing disruptions as early as November 3.
Recent data shows challenges beyond food insecurity for students in Orange County schools. For example, less than half of senior students taking the math portion of the ACT in the district were considered ready for college during the 2022-23 school year (source). Similar results were seen among juniors: only about 45% were deemed ready for college-level math (source). In reading, approximately 56% of seniors and 55% of juniors met readiness benchmarks (source).
As more families may experience hardship due to delayed federal support, county leaders hope emergency measures will provide relief until normal benefit schedules resume.
