CORA Client Stories

Willy / April 2024

Willy is happy that planting season is coming so that he can grow some vegetables for his two grandchildren. They had to move in with him last year when his daughter could no longer care for them, and he has been struggling to support them ever since. He used the Pantry for the first time this winter, was very relieved and grateful to have this option available. Thank you for helping CORA provide food for our Chatham County neighbors.

John / March 2024

Even during good economic times people can have bad things happen that make it hard for them to pay their bills. John is a senior citizen whose spouse is handicapped. He works as a cashier to supplement their social security income, but got COVID and is having a hard time getting back to work. He sometimes uses the Pantry for food when he runs out of cash before his next check arrives, and is very thankful that CORA is around. Your contribution to PORCH, no matter how small. helps make this possible, so thank you!

CORA's Outreach in Chatham County / February 2024

Chatham County is big geographically, and the western and southern sections are largely rural with higher poverty levels than in the Northeastern area. It is difficult for many residents there to get to Pittsboro to use the Pantry, so CORA has worked for many years to find ways to get food to them. They were so pleased when a local church in Siler City recently volunteered to set up a CORA satellite pantry, which is now open 2 Saturdays a month for food distribution. Your food donations help make this possible. Thanks for your help! By the way, Empty Bowls is back! This fundraising event will be held on March 2nd at Pittsboro United Methodist Church, so come and get a light meal of soup and sides donated by local restaurants as well a bowl donated by local potters. You can sign up on the CORA website corafoodpantry.org.

John & Carla / January 2024

Winter is here and it is getting cold outside! This is a problem for John and Carla, who met at community college and shared an apartment until a recent rise in rent forced them to move out. Neither have families that can help them out, so they are sleeping in Carla's car while they find an affordable apartment and save for a rental deposit. Both are determined to stay in school until they graduate, so they are so glad that they can get food from CORA to tide them over. They really like canned tuna and pineapple!. Thanks for helping CORA help our neighbors in need.

Charlie's Story / December 2023

The Holiday season is peaking and so is demand for CORA Food Pantry's services. Both food and cash donations have been declining, which has put stress on the Pantry's ability to help people like Charlie, who was struggling and so glad to hear about the pantry!  He was diagnosed with Parkinsons several years ago and his wife divorced him, which cut his household income by more than half.  He recently had to stop working at his full time job as he couldn't do the physical work anymore, and his disability payments aren't always enough to cover medical bills.  Please help CORA provide food for people like Charlie.  The Pantry really needs your help! Thanks.

Jim's Story / November 2023

The holiday season is fast approaching, and it can be a time of financial stress for many people who are just getting by. It is also the period of highest demand for CORA Food Pantry services. Jim is someone who never expected to need help, but then his wife broke her leg, which required surgery, so she couldn't work, and she does not have health insurance. He is optimistic about the future, and plans to volunteer at the Pantry once he gets back on his feet financially. Your food donations to the Pantry really make a difference in CORA's ability to help people like Jim. Happy holidays to you all, and thanks for your support!.

Laura's Story / October 2023

Fall is here and CORA is open for individual food selection in their expanded space after a long pause during COVID. One of the new Pantry spaces is a quiet room where distraught people who have come for help with food can wait their turn rather than sit in the public room. This is appreciated by people like Laura, who recently lost her house and belongings to fire, and Charlie, who was overwhelmed with shame for having to seek food assistance for his family. With your support CORA can provide services for people who are going through bad times. Thanks for your help.

Jenny's Story / September 2023

There are older homes in rural Chatham County that do not have running water and /or electricity. Jenny lives with family members in their old farm house with no running water, so she knows what it is like to struggle during these very hot periods. Bottled water prices are increasing as her consumption rises, so Jenny is thankful that CORA is there to help cover food costs. Donated food makes up 42% of the Pantry's income, so they could not do this without your help.

Mike's Story / August 2023

After several years of COVID contact restrictions and building renovations CORA Food Pantry is now open for choice shopping for Pantry clients. This means that Pantry visitors can choose the food items they need rather than receive pre bagged groceries, which is important for people like Mike, who has serious digestive tract  problems which limit what he can eat as well as how much he can work. He has felt badly about the food he received in the past but could not use, and is relieved that this food will now go to others who really need it. Thanks for your help which has made this possible!

Mike's Story / June 2023

Daily life can be a challenge for many people, including Mike. He is mildly developmentally impaired, and is struggling to manage his life after losing his mother late last year. He recently lost his Medicaid coverage because he did not file the proper paperwork on time, but neighbors are helping him to reapply, and also directed him to CORA Food Pantry to help out while he gets back on his feet.. Thanks for supporting CORA in their efforts to provide food for people like Mike.

Ginny's Story / May 2023

Ginny, a grandmother as well as mother of a two year old, is happy to get a break from school. She has always wanted to be a teacher, but life intervened. She is determined to get her degree, but money is a struggle. and she is thankful that CORA Food Pantry is there to help when she runs short. CORA could not help people like Ginny without your support. Thank you! 

Nancy's Story / April 2023

We are all looking forward to a warm spring, including Nancy, who had to leave her waitressing job to care for her husband, who is bedridden and not expected to recover. She is receiving food stamps, but the benefits were reduced at the end of February and she is now struggling to put food on the table, which is adding more stress to an already difficult situation. We are glad that the Pantry is there when she needs it. CORA could not do this without contributions from people like you. Almost half of the food that the Pantry distributes comes from in kind donations, so your support is really making a difference for people like Nancy. Thank you!

Jim's Story / March 2023

Jim is a Chatham County resident with a problem. He lives in a mobile home in a rural area and his car had broken down. He was struggling to put together the money to fix it, but thanks to CORA food pantry he did not have to choose between meals and car repairs. He paid CORA back by donating as soon as he recovered financially. CORA has started a delivery program that delivers food to those whose physical difficulties, disabilities, medical conditions, or other barriers prevent them from coming to CORA. This would have been a great help for Jim, and the Pantry could not provide these services without your help. Every can of food makes a positive difference in someone's life! Thanks.

Louisa's Story / February 2023

Louisa is struggling to feed her 3 teenage boys and pay her heating bills on her house cleaner income. She says the boys are hungry all the time, so she is grateful for the monthly Mobile Market that CORA runs in Nature Trail Mobile Home Park. The money it saves them in gas and food purchases can mean the difference between being able to pay their heating bill or buying a warm winter coat.

Sue's Story / September 2022

Hunger can be experienced differently depending upon a family’s unique circumstances. Hunger isn’t always a dire situation in which families have nothing to eat, but instead can often be seen in the subtle choices a family must make.

Before the impact of COVID-19, Sue worked in corporate travel for thirty years. Due to the economic fallout from the pandemic, she—like millions of people across the country—was laid off. Having recently moved to Pittsboro and having more time on her hands, Sue explored ways to become connected to her new community. Ultimately, she found a place of belonging at Chatham Community Church, where she was introduced to CORA through their service and mission work. In summer 2020, Sue volunteered for our SNACK! program and dedicated many hot and sweaty afternoons packing boxes of food for hungry children. Following the summer, Sue also dedicated many volunteer hours at the Pantry sorting food donations and packing bags for families.

In September 2020, Sue received word that her position had been permanently eliminated. Sue and her husband fared okay and cut back on spending like many in their shoes during the pandemic. However, slowly the stress and reality of their situation sank in. They didn’t qualify for public assistance, and their limited incomes were not stretching as far as they needed. Even while working various part-time jobs, they realized they needed some help putting food on the table. “At first, the thought of asking for help was overwhelming, but CORA is such a welcoming place that my reservations quickly dissolved.” Sue recently shared, “We just love what you all stand for. There is no judgment, and you aim to lift people up rather than knocking them down.”

Like many who visit CORA, Sue found a sense of community along with the help she needed. Nutritious food, community connection, and unconditional support amid a devastating time of unemployment and uncertainty. Today, she is back working full-time in the travel industry and looks forward to volunteering again soon. “I hope that telling my story of being on both sides of CORA might help someone in Chatham County who might be hesitant, as I was, to ask for help. Be assured that every person you encounter at CORA is compassionate, positive, and there to help.”