News

By: Kiel Bowen, Partner, Mayer Brown Last November, our Charlotte office turned an ordinary Thursday afternoon into a meaningful act of service through the Supermarket Sweep at the Dilworth Food Lion. Far from a routine grocery trip, the event reflected Mayer Brown’s deep commitment to community impact. Each participant arrived with their own $100 and set out to fill grocery carts with Nourish Up’s most-needed items — essentials like peanut butter, canned vegetables, cereal, pasta, and other staples – while aiming to spend as close to the $100 as possible. The objective was clear: shop strategically, stretch every dollar, and maximize the benefit for neighbors in need...

From left: Courtney Oates, Alenys  Borrás, Ian Burge, Lucy Mitchell, Jennifer Gallagher It started like any other volunteer shift.A group of students from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Food Innovation & Technology arrived at Nourish Up, ready to pack boxes of nonperishable food. They were young, bright-eyed, and full of energy—the kind of energy that fills a room with laughter and camaraderie even when the task is humble. That day, they assembled what we call 7-day boxes: a week’s worth of nutritionally balanced meals, designed to bring dignity, health, and hope to those who need it most...

Nourish Up recently held its inaugural Pantry to Plate cooking class in the Hunger Hub Teaching Kitchen. The launch of this program, designed by Community Outreach Director Chasidie Glover and funded in part by the Farm to Table Fund, is a dream come true for Nourish Up. And a game changer for Kimberly. “I’m gonna be honest, with you” she said. “I don’t eat healthy.” Kimberly was among the first class of attendees and learned about the opportunity from her Freedom Communities Moms Moving Forward alumni group. She and her MMF coach attended Pantry to Plate led by Chef Krzysztof from Atrium Sodexo, one of our major health care partners...

We couldn’t imagine a better way to close out Volunteer Appreciation Month than by celebrating the people who make it all happen.On Saturday, nearly 300 volunteers joined us for our first Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast in the Hunger Hub—transformed from warehouse to a celebratory space. It was a beautiful morning spent honoring the dedicated individuals who fuel our mission every day.We were proud to recognize the following incredible award recipients:Virginia Sampson Award2024 – Hope Covenant House at The Connecting Place2025 – Rogerline Lee / Statesville Avenue Presbyterian ChurchBeverly Howard Award2024 – Angie Caroway / Servant’s Heart of Mint Hill2025 – Mary Faulkner / Statesville Avenue Presbyterian ChurchAnn Elliot Award2024 – Diane and Charlie Bounds2025 – Carolyn and Jimmy WidemanLucy Bush Carter Award2024 – Cindy Jefferson2025 – Bill HardawayLifetime Achievement Award – Grace SolomanAt 96 years young, Grace brought the house down with a double standing ovation as she made her way to the stage on her own terms—an unforgettable moment that captured the spirit of the morning...

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Scouting for Food! Approximately 185,000 lbs of food was collected to help Nourish Up fight hunger in our community. Just look at all these bins—each holding up to 2,000 pounds of donations! The Nourish Up warehouse is now filled with Scouting for Food donations, ready to be sorted, packed, and distributed to neighbors throughout Mecklenburg County. We are grateful to Mecklenburg County Council of The Boy Scouts of America, WCNC Charlotte, Harris Teeter, and Stegall Trucking for making this all possible!