A Shared Mission to Grow Food Security and Care for our Neighbors

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.