We are grateful to Mountain Xpress for highlighting Bounty & Soul’s evolving role in addressing food insecurity in Western North Carolina. Their recent article brings attention to a reality we’re living every day: an urgent and growing need for healthy, fresh food — and a shrinking pool of resources to meet it.
Before Tropical Storm Helene, Bounty & Soul operated five weekly produce markets, distributing fresh food to nearly 9,860 individuals every month. These markets offered more than food; they created community and connection.
Since the storm, the need has more than doubled. We now operate 10 markets per week, focusing on the areas most greatly impacted by the storm, reaching an estimated 26,000 people each month. And we’re doing this amid growing financial strain.
As our founder and executive director, Ali Casparian, shared with Mountain Xpress:
“It’s the perfect storm of an increased need and decrease in some of these systems that support families — which now creates more need and less resources.”
In early March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a major funding cut — eliminating over $1 billion for local food programs like the Local Food for Schools and the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements, set to end in 2025. While our LFPA+ partnership with MANNA FoodBank will remain active until October, this change will not only impact the amount of local food we are able to distribute to those experiencing food insecurity, it will also impact the livelihoods of the farmers and growers in the region. Through that partnership alone, we receive over $100,000 to support food sourcing, purchasing, and delivering.
We’re also proud to be part of Medicaid’s Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) — a groundbreaking program that proves health is about more than doctor visits. It’s about food, housing, and transportation.
Through HOP, Bounty & Soul delivers fresh, nutritious food to neighbors facing food insecurity — helping individuals regain stability and move toward independence.
HOP works — it improves health outcomes, saves the state healthcare funding, and strengthens rural economies by investing in local farms, nonprofits, and small businesses.
In western North Carolina, it has already:
- Served over 12,000 people — including thousands of children
- Delivered 330,000+ essential services
- Created or sustained 312 local jobs
- Supports 60+ local nonprofits, including Bounty & Soul
- Invests in local farms, small businesses, and rural economies
- Saves NC nearly $34 million annually in healthcare costs
- National model for Medicaid transformation
Yet despite its success, HOP is currently not included in North Carolina’s proposed state budget.
What’s at risk for our region:
- $313 million in total health services lost
- 312 local jobs at risk in WNC
- 60+ nonprofits could lose funding, including Bounty & Soul
- 10,931 vulnerable residents could lose access to food, housing, and safety services
- Higher emergency room visits and increased healthcare costs
As need continues to rise, continued investment in programs like HOP is more critical than ever. But even with innovative programs like HOP, the growing demand far outpaces available resources. Our broader efforts still rely heavily on individual donors, corporate partners, and foundation support.
Casparian reminds us:
“We cannot do this alone. It’s going to take all of us — neighbors, partners, and community voices — to meet this moment. Together, we can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to eat well, be nourished, recover, and thrive.”
We encourage you to contact your representatives by searching Find Your Legislators Website.
Furthermore, supporting Bounty & Soul with a donation directly helps bring fresh food to those who are food insecure and may lose access to these vital state services.
Right now, your gift will go 2x as far thanks to our Spring Match Campaign!
Every dollar you give means more fresh food delivered, more families nourished, and more hope shared.
We want to thank Mountain Xpress for helping tell this story with clarity and compassion. And we thank you — our community — for standing with us as we work every day to ensure that everyone has the right and opportunity to eat well, be nourished, and thrive.
