Food Justice

Heavenly Groceries/Comida Celestial began in 2002 as a ministry of St. Joseph C.M.E. Church when Reverend Troy Harrison and his wife Bernice Harrison began collecting bread from the Entenmann’s factory and distributing it to members of the church. Today, Heavenly Groceries reclaims food from three groceries stores and serves an estimated 3,500 individuals a month from at least five different counties. The food bank is open five days a week for distribution. In recent months, the food bank has had to discontinue weekend pickups due to limited numbers of volunteers.  This work is completed with the collaboration of local church members, UNC-Chapel Hill students, and other individuals from the community who sort, clean, and distribute all food. Groceries are provided for every person that arrives at our doors, there are neither restrictions nor requirements necessary to be given food. We are one of the only North Carolina certified food banks that allows patrons to select their own food, which provides each person the opportunity to choose food he or she will enjoy and that adheres to particular food traditions. This model is meant to honor individuals’ preferences and dignity during the act of receiving food from a food bank.