The N.C. Cooperative Extension – Cherokee County Center is hosting the third annual Cherokee County Extension Food Drive from February 1 – March 31th, 2025. All donations will be donated to food pantries within Cherokee County. Local pantry managers were surveyed through an Extension needs assessment that revealed the most requested items include canned vegetables, pop-top products, canned protein, can openers, and ready-to-eat foods/kits.
Those who wish to donate can drop non-perishable items off at the Extension Office, inside the Courthouse Annex building located at 40 Peachtree Street, or at any of our Partner Collection Sites below. Extension Office hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Partner Collection Sites in Cherokee County
- Dollar General (Andrews Road Location)
- Erlanger Hospital Lobby
- Mountain Lakes Board of Realtors
- Murphy Health and Fitness
- Murphy Public Library
- Peachtree Pediatrics
- Rambling Rose Florist
- Unlimited Fitness
Items that we are not accepting include:
- Home-canned food
- Expired food
- Items that need refrigeration
- Damaged food items- including dented or bloated cans
- Non-food items (with the exception of the can openers)
Food Insecurity in Cherokee County
Feeding America reports 17.3% of residents in Cherokee County are considered food insecure.This means that close to 5,000 individuals did not have access to a reliable source of food during the past year. The increased cost of living is impacting communities and populations across the state. Children are at an even greater risk of facing food insecurity with 20.3% of children under 18 facing food insecurity. We hope that you will take part in curbing the hunger in our county by providing food items to those who need them most in our community!For more information about our food drive, healthy food donations, or other programs offered by N.C. Cooperative Extension, contact Marlana Baker, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, at marlana_baker@ncsu.edu or 828.837.2210 ext 5.
