From Church Pantry to Countywide Impact

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.”