Due to building renovations, we provide food curbside, and you do not need to make an appointment. CORA is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 10 am – 1 pm to families in need of food. Families are allowed two visits per month. If food is needed beyond the two visits, please come to CORA and we will assist you.
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 Evengeline at Evangeline@corafoodpantry.org
Due to building renovations, we provide food curbside, and you do not need to make an appointment. We are open Monday through Thursday between 10 am – 1 pm. We are distributing pre-packed bags of shelf-stable food, including canned fruits and vegetables, rice or pasta, soups, breakfast cereal or cereal bars, and a variety of other nutritious food. We supplement these staples with fresh produce, bakery items, milk, eggs, and meat.
CORA serves any local resident who needs food through our choice Food Pantry. Our Pantry is set up like a grocery store and community members choose the food that matches their preferences and needs. Our community members have various options when choosing their groceries, from local fresh produce, meats, dairy, bakery items, shelf-stable staples, to personal hygiene items. CORA believes when families choose their own foods, it creates an atmosphere of dignity and builds a sense of community between staff, volunteers, and those we serve.
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.
Every child should be able to celebrate a birthday!
When families come through our pantry, a CORA volunteer asks if a child in the family has a birthday in the current month. If “yes,” the visitor is introduced to CORA’s special “Celebration Station” stocked with gift bags, cake mix, froting, candles, and other supplies and treats for a small birthday party.
If you are interested in helping with the Celebration Station, please consider donating the following.
If you have questions, please contact Rebecca Hankins at rebecca@corafoodpantry.org.
