A Community Answer to Food Insecurity in Charlotte

Neighbors Stepping Up When It Mattered Most

When schools closed in March 2020, families in the Ballantyne area suddenly faced food insecurity with little time to prepare. What began in 2019 as a small volunteer effort to provide Thanksgiving baskets quickly grew into something much larger.

Local organizers formalized their work into Ballantyne Families Helping Neighbors In Need (BFHNIN) with a simple but powerful mission — “bring together our community to care for our neighbors in their time of need.”

With families needing reliable access to food year-round, the team expanded their support model to include monthly grocery gift cards and pantry food bags, ensuring families didn’t have to wait until seasonal drives for help.

The work didn’t stop after COVID restrictions subsided. In 2022, BFHNIN launched a community food pantry to give families immediate access to essential items — a major milestone in strengthening support for neighbors facing sudden emergencies.

Organizing Community Support With Ease

Coordinating food drives, gift card donations, and volunteer shifts could have become overwhelming, but SignUpGenius helped the team streamline it all from day one.

BFHNIN used sign ups to:

• Recruit volunteers for food sorting, packing, and distribution
• Request specific pantry items and grocery gift cards
• Organize seasonal and ongoing food support drives
• Centralize communication so volunteers always knew what was needed

The ability to build different slot types made it easy for the community to give in the exact ways needed — from purchasing gift cards to fulfilling pantry item requests.

“SignUpGenius is a HUGE help… It allows us to communicate, organize, and fill needs in our community very easily.”
— Heather McAfee, Founder & Board Member

A Community That Shows Up

What started as a small, heartfelt effort became a robust system of neighbor-to-neighbor generosity. Volunteers stepped in to pack food bags, purchase gift cards, and stock the pantry. Donors rallied to make sure families never had to question where their next meal would come from.

BFHNIN’s impact continues to grow, powered by a dedicated community and tools that help keep everything coordinated, clear, and accessible.

“We use SignUpGenius to collect donations and gather volunteers who organize or distribute food assistance.”
— Heather McAfee

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