September 10, 2026
The Food That Never Gets Scanned
USDA's new SNAP purchase report covers 51,891 households and $875M in grocery spending, and none of the charitable food system. What it can and can't tell your county.
April 30, 2026
The Handoff: Why Charitable Food Recovery Is Getting Harder Just When We Need It Most
Inside the operational reality of retailer-to-pantry food donation, where coordination gaps, capacity limits, and tightening supply collide with rising demand.
January 5, 2026
Same Cart, Different Price: What Instacart's Pricing Experiments Mean for Food Security
A landmark investigation revealed Instacart was charging different customers different prices for identical groceries, with variations up to 23%. For families already struggling to put food on the table, the implications go far beyond convenience.
December 29, 2025
When the Safety Net Shrinks, Rural Communities Feel It First
SNAP benefits generate nearly $2 in economic activity for every $1 spent, but coming program cuts will hit rural communities hardest, where a single grocery store can anchor an entire local economy.
December 10, 2025
Food Insecurity Hit 16% in November. Here's What That Means for Community Foundations
New data from Purdue's Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability shows U.S. food insecurity spiked sharply in November 2025, with SNAP participants hit hardest. For community foundations funding food relief, the numbers reveal an urgent coordination problem.
October 30, 2025
Why MANNA Food Bank Excels at Website Advocacy (And Why It Matters for WNC)
Only 25% of food banks nationwide excel at website advocacy. MANNA Food Bank is one of them, and their approach offers a blueprint for how food relief organizations can drive both immediate impact and systemic change in Western North Carolina.