CORA serves individuals within our community who need food through our choice food pantry. CORA is open Monday through Thursday for choice shopping from 10 am to 2 pm. CORA’s pantry is set up like a grocery store for choice shopping, and community members choose the food that matches their preferences and needs. We are open for drive-through service on Friday between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. We distribute pre-packed bags of shelf-stable food, including canned fruits and vegetables, rice or pasta, soups, breakfast cereal or cereal bars, and other nutritious food. Based on availability, we add fresh produce, bakery items, milk, eggs, and meat to our staple offerings.
Families are allowed two visits per month. If food is needed beyond the two visits, please come to CORA and we will assist you.
We also have a satellite pantry at Love Chatham at Freedom Family Church located at 421 N. Holly Avenue in Siler City. Food distribution is on the second Saturday of each month from 10 am – 12 pm.
CORA also offers delivery. If you live in Chatham County and have physical difficulties, disabilities, medical conditions, or other barriers that prevent you from coming to CORA, we offer a home delivery program. We have limited spots available, and if you are interested please contact Mackie Hunter at mackie@corafoodpantry.org.
Please note the following in-take process for new families. You DO NOT need a referral from DSS or any other agency. Please know that all information is self-reported, we don’t ask people to prove anything they tell us. And if you wish not to answer, we are fine with that as well.
When a new family comes to CORA, we ask for the following information:
We also ask about other members of the household:
Once a family answers this information, they receive a CORA card that they will show each time they come to the Pantry so that we can record visits for reporting purposes. All of this information is kept confidential in a database and we use statistical information for reports to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC and many grant applications. If you have any questions, please contact kristine@corafoodpantry.org.
CORA’s pantry is set up like a grocery store for choice shopping, and community members choose the food that matches their preferences and needs. Our community members have assorted options when selecting their groceries, from local fresh produce, meats, dairy, bakery items, and shelf-stable staples, to personal hygiene items. Choice food pantries are essential because they address food insecurity, promote dignity and empowerment, offer nutritional variety, engage the community, and provide educational opportunities. By adopting a choice-based approach, CORA contributes to a more inclusive and equitable food system while supporting the well-being of individuals and families in need.
CORA has created a space that empowers community members to employ healthy eating strategies. We use SWAP (Supporting Wellness at Pantries), a stoplight nutrition ranking system designed to help promote healthy food choices and ranks foods based on saturated fat, sodium, and sugar. The SWAP system ranks foods into green (choose frequently), yellow (choose sometimes), and red (choose rarely). In addition, volunteers are trained to educate community members in making smart choices through nutrition classes, food demonstrations, healthy samples, and one on one conversations.
CORA does not turn away usable donations. Most things that we cannot or do not distribute to the public are passed forward to other organizations that need them. When food is not safe for humans, it can many times be used for animals.
Our partnership with Chatham Reads provides free books to children. When families come through our pantry, they can take one book home for each child at each visit.
CORA is home to one of the Feed-well Fridges is Chatham County. Feed-Well Fridges are placed in areas where residents in need often lack access to fresh food options. The fridge is packed full of prepared meals and groceries and families facing hunger are free to take any food they want and leave what they don’t. The fridge is open 24-hours a day.
