 | Resist. Reclaim. Rejoice. We are ecstatic to share that we are over 87% of the way to meeting our end of year fundraising goal! Thank you so much to everyone who has given to our campaign. With two weeks left in the year, join in to help us reach $50,000! Today, we highlight the hallowed food justice work of the St. Joseph C.M.E. Church's food ministry Heavenly Groceries. Since 2008, our deep partnership with Heavenly Groceries has ensured that all are welcome to get free and nutritious food. We resist food insecurity by providing a variety of free and nutritious food twice a week to all who come through St. Joseph’s doors. We reclaim the ongoing practice of community care that has sustained these local Black neighborhoods for generations. We rejoice in the fellowship Heavenly Groceries fosters every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Give today to help reduce food insecurity in our community. Resist October 2025 marked two years since Heavenly Groceries re-opened to the public. In that time, the number of households we serve has nearly doubled, from 60 to 100 per week. The food ministry is a critical resource for some of the most vulnerable populations in our community, and in 2025, we found that: - 95% of patrons make less than 80% of the area median income
- 32% are above the age of 65
- 81% are people of color
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| This year, we prioritized making Heavenly Groceries even more accessible to our expansive community by bringing language justice to the forefront. Flyers and external communications were translated into Spanish, Chinese, Burmese, and Karen. “Know Your Rights” materials for migrant patrons were distributed in multiple languages. Multilingual volunteers were intentionally recruited, and MCJC staff and volunteers participated in language justice workshops. Here’s what one guest had to say in a feedback survey issued in April: “I love the kindness; not having food is a stressful thing, and they make it easy to get better.” Reclaim The Heavenly Groceries food ministry could not run without the diligence of its “Angels”, the long-term residents, mostly women of St. Joseph and the larger community, who operate the food ministry year-round. Under their direction, their “Helpers”, MCJC student service partners, do a lot of the literal heavy lifting. It can be easy to position UNC students as an “oppositional force” to neighborhood stability. However, the Heavenly Groceries Angels invite students into the tradition and practice of community care that is a hallmark of Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s historically Black neighborhoods. Heavenly Groceries remains a prime site of intergenerational collaboration. This year alone, 115 UNC students worked alongside the Angels to sort through the daily bounty of food donations, aid patrons in choosing groceries that support their own cultural food practices, and collaborate with the Parrish brothers (local Black pig farmers) to ensure not one ounce of food went to waste. |
UNC Junior Zora Deberry (left) and Ms. Addie Wilson (right) sorting produce at Heavenly Groceries. |
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Rejoice In July 2024, we launched a new monthly series called Community Cooking Days—an intimate gathering where long-term residents and students participate in the familial practice of cooking and sharing a meal. Now 15 events deep, 222 community members, ranging from ages 5 to 80, have shared in this monthly tradition. Different hosts lead attendees through a step-by-step process to prepare a meal that is significant to them or their family: expanding palates, teaching new methods in the kitchen, and empowering folks to share their stories through food. Fresh seasonal produce and other donated ingredients are supplied to turn recipes into meals. As experienced by MCJC staff member Renna Voss, the lead organizer for the cooking days: “When someone leads a community cooking day, they bring a piece of their home into the room. And when guests lend their hands to the practice of cooking, eating, and learning someone’s recipe, it becomes a part of them, too.” |
UNC student and former Northside resident Joyce Yao teaches guests how to make Taiwanese wontons at the November Community Cooking Day. |
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Donate today and help us continue to nourish the community! |
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