Tepper Foundation Pledges Largest Donation In Nourish Up History
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Nourish Up, a nonprofit organization that has been fighting food insecurity throughout the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community for nearly half a century, announced The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation has pledged its largest gift in organization history, a $3 million donation to Nourish Up as part of a $23 million capital campaign to launch its Hunger Hub – a new 90,000-square-foot facility located in the heart of Charlotte that will provide unprecedented resources to community members facing food and nutrition insecurity.
“We are honored that Nicole and Dave have chosen to invest and stand in support of the individuals and families we serve,” shares Tina Postel, CEO.“At Nourish Up, we will continue to ensure that all of our neighbors have access to healthy food.”
The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation’s generous gift propels the campaign towards its finish line and bolsters the future work of Nourish Up in making food accessible to neighbors in need across the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area.
“Dave and I are proud to support Nourish Up in its mission to eradicate food insecurity in Mecklenburg County,” said Nicole Tepper. “Nourish Up’s vital work has supported hundreds of thousands of people and families and continues to uplift our community as a whole. We are thrilled to support the organization and its new Hunger Hub as part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our neighbors have access to healthy meals and basic needs.”
The Hunger Hub is located in the Thomasboro-Hoskins neighborhood on Carrier Drive, placing Nourish Up in the very corridor of the neighbors it serves allowing the organization to more expeditiously and thoroughly serve citizens in need. The 90,000-square-foot facility greatly expands Nourish Up’s capacity and enables its team of volunteers and staff to provide groceries, meals and hope through a network of food pantries and home delivery, as well as the primary Meals on Wheels programs for Mecklenburg County. The building features:
- Ten times more cold storage to significantly increase the number fresh foods and perishable items distributed.
- An onsite kitchen to prepare healthy, medically tailored meals for the Meals on Wheels program (Phase 2).
- On onsite food pantry for neighbors to shop at no cost.
- Climate-controlled and expanded volunteer packing center.
- A teaching kitchen to expand nutrition education programming and include live demonstrations for student participants.
- Office space and food storage for partner organizations thus increasing our community reach and impact.
In 2023, Nourish Up provided groceries to 137,806 neighbors in Mecklenburg County, the highest in its 48-year history and a 29% increase over the 106,000 individuals served in 2022. Additionally in 2023, 126,868 medically tailored meals were delived through Nourish Up’s Meals on Wheels program, a testament to the organization’s dedication to comprehensive impact.
Beyond its latest donation to Nourish Up, The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation remains committed to combatting food insecurity throughout the Carolinas, distributing more than $6.4 million to food banks and affiliated agencies since 2018.
