PORCH celebrates four years of giving to those in need

North Carolina regularly ranks among the top 10 states with the highest percentage of residents experiencing food shortages, according to the N.C. Association of Feeding America Food Banks — and for the past four years, local organization People Offering Relief for Chapel Hill-Carrboro Homes has been working to change that statistic.

This month, PORCH will have raised $1 million in the form of both food items and cash donations since the organization was founded on Mother’s Day in 2010.

The organization will celebrate the milestone with a food sorting event on Dec. 15 at Chapel Hill’s St. Thomas More Catholic Church beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Susan Romaine, one of PORCH’s founders, said the organization collects what equates to roughly $20,000 in donations per month.

“Basically, what we’re asking people in our community to do is, once a month, reach into their cupboard and pull even just one can of soup or vegetables and place it on their porch,” she said.

“People have very busy lives, and PORCH tries to keep things as simple as possible, knowing that people do want to help and do want to act, but they have busy lives,” Romaine said.

She said the organization now has chapters in 14 other cities and towns.

The neighborhoods in Chapel Hill and Carrboro play a large role in getting donations to PORCH, Romaine said.

Within each neighborhood is a neighborhood coordinator who works to gather up all donations.

“Not only are we helping the people that are needy and hungry, but it is a great and easy way for people to give back to the community and volunteer,” said Lisa Finegan, coordinator for the Silver Creek neighborhood in Chapel Hill.

“The ease of the program drew me to it. Being a monthly program — if you can’t participate one month, you can simply participate the next month.”

The food collected from the neighborhoods only goes to local food pantries, Finegan said.

According to PORCH’s website, nine food pantries in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area are served by PORCH donations.

One of these pantries is the Rogers Eubanks Neighborhood Association Community Center, known as RENA.

“(PORCH is) a very caring organization,” said David Caldwell, project director for RENA .

“They’re an organization that does not work behind a desk — they are out in the communities. They know the people that they work with and the people they are helping. It’s neighbors helping neighbors.”

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