News and Stories about PORCH

The Food Bank announced a new partnership Tuesday with PORCH communities.

PORCH Roanoke ramps up efforts to fight hunger

For Rebecca Hankins, Director of Development and Communications at the Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA), the work is deeply personal

In 2018, just before learning she was pregnant, Rebecca Hankins was laid off. With her husband’s modest nonprofit income income, they earned just enough to disqualify them from local food assistance. 

“That was a devastating time for me,” she said. “We were in a state of fear, and I remember just sitting at my kitchen table crying. I reached out to every food pantry in Chatham County, and nobody could help us.”

This experience shaped her commitment to CORA, an organization that doesn’t ask questions and focuses simply on helping anyone in need.

It also explains why she feels so strongly about PORCH Communities, where she serves as coordinator for PORCH Chatham County. To Rebecca, PORCH is an organization of passionate people who all care about doing good. It is a way for pantries to meet new people and get ingrained in the fabric of different neighborhoods.

“PORCH just means a whole lot to me,” Rebecca said. “It is a wonderful program that complements the work CORA is doing. Together, we are making a huge difference in the community.”

Instead of competition, Rebecca views Cora’s relationship with PORCH as collaboration.  

Building capacity and community with the power of volunteers

When she started with PORCH Chatham, the program had just a handful of volunteers. Today, more than 13 people regularly collect food donations, contributing over 100,000 pounds of groceries annually to CORA, as well as making financial donations. The partnership has transformed not only CORA’s capacity, but also Rebecca’s sense of community. 

“PORCH is all about the personal connection sand love we share for our neighbors”

“Even though I live in Durham, when I’m in Chatham County, I see people every single day that I know,” Rebecca said. “PORCH is all about the personal connections and the love we share for our neighbors.”

What makes PORCH so special are the “little things,” like providing name-brand groceries and fresh produce, she said. Like, for example, seeing a child’s eyes light up at the sight of a bright yellow Cheerios box, or remembering a mother who could finally make a special meal for her daughter because PORCH supplied cooking oil. 

“Those moments are little blips in time for people, but they are important,” she said. “They help families get through what we hope is just a short time of need.”

PORCH gives pantries an opportunity to expand their outreach

 In the future, Rebecca hopes that more pantries will partner with PORCH. She said that simply by having people leave food on their porches, pantries, and organizations can spread their mission, make an even bigger impact, and build “synergy” across their community. 

“It’s an opportunity to expand your outreach in the community with a partner who cares like you do about the neighbors that you’re feeding,” she said.  

SNAP cuts put 450k Virginia families at risk; PORCH Roanoke fills the gap

Federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are putting Virginia families and food pantries under unprecedented strain. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about $197 billion was cut under One Big Beautiful Bill, translating into over $350 million in reduced support for Virginia’s nearly 450,000 SNAP enrollees. More than half of the 874,000 Virginians who received $1.76 billion in SNAP benefits in fiscal year 2024 are expected to lose all or some of their benefits under new federal rules. 

Filling the gap is PORCH Roanoke, launched in August 2024 to mobilize neighbors to collect and deliver food directly to local pantries. In its first year, PORCH Roanoke delivered 6,751 pounds of food (equivalent to 5,625 meals) across the valley, supporting the Presbyterian Community Center, Salem/Roanoke County Food Pantry, Friendship House, Vinton Baptist Church, and St. Francis House, with the Agape Center to be added this fall.

PHOTO: Camille Berry, Board Member, PORCH Communities (left) with Christine Cotton, PORCH Communities Founder

A full circle story

Board member of PORCH Communities, Camille Berry’s story with PORCH has come completely full circle. Today, she proudly serves as a board member for PORCH, helping to reduce hunger and provide community support across the country. But before stepping into this leadership position, Camille knew firsthand what it meant to struggle with food insecurity.

“For about five years, I struggled with providing enough food for my family,” Camille said. “My income had gone down, I had changed jobs, and found myself in between full-time jobs – it was a struggle.”

Finding support in PORCH partners

During this hard time, Camille and her family temporarily moved in with friends, as they worked to get back on their feet, and relied on pantries operated by community organizations such as the Interfaith Council for Social Services (IFC) and the Chatham Outreach Alliance (CORA). Years later, she learned that those same pantries she leaned on were supported by PORCH.

Now, as a board member, Camille sustains PORCH’s legacy by building partnerships and connecting donors, volunteers, struggling families, and local organizations to its work. 

“The most rewarding part is … that we do it together”

“The most rewarding part is not just the work that we do, but that we do it together,” Camille said. “It is fabulous work to be in partnership with others who want to do something without expectation of receiving anything back.”

In only two years in this role, Camille has seen PORCH blossom. PORCH continues to make a name for itself and grow in partnerships, chapters across the country, and volunteers.

Camille encourages people to get involved and donate because hunger affects so many people in so many different ways, and all it takes is a small investment of money or time.

“When doing this work, it is not about seeing our names associated with something,” Camille said. “It’s about seeing our spirit combined with other spirits and helping this community thrive. And this community could be right here in our neighborhood or it could be nationwide and if we’re lucky, it goes worldwide and I see that happening with PORCH.

Mike Claxton leads PORCH South Brunswick in fight against hunger

South Brunswick County, North Carolina. Founded in December 2020. Collected and donated 99,607 pounds collected in 2024.

After receiving an email from two sisters who had launched PORCH South Brunswick and were ready to pass the baton, Mike Claxton eagerly stepped up. What began in a church fellowship hall four years ago serving just four communities has now grown into a thriving chapter that reaches 26 communities, guided by 30 coordinators and supported by as many as 15 volunteers in some areas.

Overseeing the sixth-largest county in North Carolina by area—and the 18th by population– Mike certainly has his hands full. As chapter leader, he oversees PORCH South Brunswick, which stretches from Southport all the way to the South Carolina line.

Commitment to community service runs deep

Mike’s commitment to serving his community runs deep. Since 1978, he and his wife have been active members of their churches, leading youth ministries and dedicating themselves to food and hunger relief. When the time came to retire, they chose to focus their efforts on one call: fighting food insecurity. Mike has now led his church’s pantry since 2018, and when the opportunity to take on a PORCH chapter came along in 2021, it felt like a natural extension of a lifetime dedicated to ministry and service.

Guided by his faith, Mike feels called to serve not only his church but the broader community. In particular, he says “I encourage young people to get involved because we’re not gonna be around forever, so we need to teach others how to keep up the work we’ve been doing.”

Libby Hammond’s unexpected PORCH journey

Libby’s journey with PORCH Yellow Springs began with an annual birthday trip. Every November, she and her twin sister take a trip together, and in 2017 they visited their aunt and uncle in Chapel Hill. That weekend, her uncle Mike Smith—one of the early helpers at PORCH—invited them to lend a hand. Curious, they tagged along, not knowing it would change the course of their own community involvement.

They picked up a donation bag from a local home, then followed the process to the end. Watching volunteers re-bag food and organize deliveries to schools and families, Libby was struck by both the simplicity and the impact of the model.

I thought “I can do this.”

“What they were doing there was fascinating to me,” said Libby. “I just was so impressed with how it was running. I thought, ‘I can do this.’”

Back home in Ohio, Libby got her local pantry leader’s blessing to run the PORCH program. The leader was both thrilled and surprised by how simple and convenient it would be: instead of spending money and shopping for groceries, donations would now come directly to the pantry.

In an area with a population less than 4,000, when PORCH Yellow Springs launched, collections started off small. At first, it was just Libby and another volunteer, driving around town and picking up a handful of bags. After a local newspaper article spotlighted their work, however, momentum picked up. Today, they now have five regular drivers who collect groceries from about 45 households, take them to the pantry, and shelve them.In 2024 they donated food worth approximately $15,000.

Genuine joy in making a difference

“Everybody that does it loves it,” Libby said. “They love driving around, picking up groceries, and helping people.” 

To Libby, what’s so special and different about PORCH from other organizations is that each town is responsible for their own people– all of their people. As a result, it is a very intimate and fulfilling experience. She said that she loves meeting the people who donate food each month and spending time with her regular volunteers.

“The people really make it special,” Libby said.

Libby describes her branch as a group of people who love what they do and find genuine joy in making a difference.

“We all have a blast doing it,” Libby said. “To help other people is a lot of fun, we found.”

Liz Platner starts — and grows — PORCH Marietta

Marietta, Georgia, Founded in February 2022, Donated a total of 137,600 pounds since 2022.  

PORCH Marietta, Georgia, started differently than other chapters across the nation. In 2022, Liz Platner decided to start PORCH with a test run in just her neighborhood, looking to gauge her community’s receptiveness and support.

“Are people around here willing to donate food?” she asked herself. Without knowing this answer, she decided to start small. 

However, fast forward to today, it is a big success. Not only were her neighbors very enthusiastic, but with the usage of social media and word of mouth, PORCH Marietta has now grown to more than 50 neighborhoods and 60 volunteers in just three years.

As the sister-in-law to PORCH Communities founder Christine Cotton, Liz had long admired the organization’s wonderful work. So, looking for an opportunity to make a better impact on her own community, PORCH was the easy answer. 

“I always thought PORCH was a brilliant idea, just so simple, but really impactful at the same time,” Liz said.

Coming together for a shared cause

To Liz, PORCH is so special because, unlike huge organizations, PORCH is an intimate and cohesive group of like-minded individuals that come together for a shared cause. Everyone has an important role, and most importantly, everyone feels the love.

“PORCH is not just the same as writing a check to any other charity,” Liz said. “It is actually hands-on helping people in our very own neighborhoods. You can always write a check to help with any of the disasters that we hear about on the news, but to help people right where you live not only makes you feel good, but also builds your community.”

Supporting community and school pantries across the area

Given how geographically spread out Marietta is, the chapter divides its neighborhoods into three different donation groups. One supports a pantry at Sawyer Road Elementary School, which serves roughly 200 families each month. The pantry also receives monthly food donations from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and volunteers from the YMCA.  

A second group donates to Brumby Elementary School and a local family resource center. The last group donates to several different locations in the western region, including schools and churches. 

Each pantry has its own needs and item requests. For instance, after being approved to partner with Atlanta GLOW (Growing Leadership of Women) in March 2025, the Sawyer Road location now provides free menstrual products to families. They distribute almost 3,000 products a month.

Making a difference for neighbors in the face of budget cuts

“Especially now when budgets for helping anyone are being cut, it’s nice to see that there’s people who are really there still supporting our community,” Liz said. “We used to receive 10,000 pounds of mixed produce and dry goods each week at both elementary schools. The funding cuts mean no produce at school pantries for now, so families must go to multiple pantries to find all they need to feed their kids.”

PORCH Marietta is more than just about volunteering. It’s a place where friends and family come together to make a difference. 

“It’s a lot of people trying to help a little bit,” Liz said. “We’re all here in this together, working towards helping our own community.”

This Miami neighborhood group is fighting child hunger one porch at a time

PORCH Communities, and our very own Christine Cotton, PORCH Communities CEO, was recently featured on My Carolina.

Check out the segment where Christine shares the power of neighbors helping neighbors in the fight against hunger and learn how PORCH makes it easy for anyone to get involved!

Highlighting PORCH and how to get involved

September is National Hunger Action Month. This month we are highlighting organizations in Orange County that are taking action to feed people, empower communities, and solve food insecurity. Our first story highlights the critical work of PORCH Hillsborough.

‘PORCH in a Week’ Brings Attention to Growing Need at Food Pantries Across North Carolina

Syracuse native’s nonprofit raised millions to fight hunger. Now she wants to open a chapter here

The Power of Small (page 40)

From One Sandwich to a National Movement

Highlights partnership with Our Community Eats

New Food Pantry Donation Program in Williamsburg Makes it Easy to Give Back

Fundholder Ann Leonard (Hogan Leonard Fund) drives her philanthropy into several causes, with urban farming and child nutrition at top of mind. She shares with us a heartful tribute and message of support for Orange County grantee PORCH Hillsborough and its growing partnership with Hillsborough Community Garden. Read on for Ann’s message of endorsement for PORCH and the strong leadership of Fundraising Chair Linda Leikin.

PORCH Marietta to hold fundraiser at Marietta Wine Market

PORCH-Decatur: Combating Food Insecurity at the Front Door

PORCH Chattanooga looking to tackle increasing food insecurity

Nonprofit PORCH Chattanooga helps fight food insecurity with convenient donation method

USDA Cuts

PORCH-Marietta donates 100K pounds of food to local pantries

Read all about how PORCH® Communities volunteers across the country have delivered in 2024.

Food Pantries facing declining donations in the wake of Helene

PORCH model (error)

Help combat food insecurity with PORCH Chattanooga

New Executive Director of PORCH-CH

Celebrating 6 million dollars given

This article summarizes the PORCH model and highlights the ease of donation. Also highlights how PORCH is new in the area/Faith

PORCH donation from Celtic FC

Highlights PORCH model, also highlights CHEW partnership

Highlights PORCH story and ties to Chapel Hill/Carrboro

Marietta partnership with local business for PORCH for Schools

PORCH model, start of Williamsburg chapter

Food truck rodeo, PORCH involvement in the community

PORCH model, Giving Tuesday

Highlights PORCH-Hillsborough's partnership with Hillsborough Community Garden

PORCH mission: Neighbors helping kids in the community eat

Announcing PORCH for Schools

Highlights local charities for Giving Tuesday in the Triangle area-PORCH is featured.

New Executive Director of PORCH (Sarah Dudzic)