After Hurricane Irene, many Hatteras Island residents relied on donations from the two local food pantries and, as a result, the shelves were quickly depleted. Lifeboat Community Church Food Pantry in Salvo and Hatteras Island Food Pantry in Buxton are in need of supplies and donations to help residents get through the winter months. Surf or Sound Realty, located on Hatteras Island, recently donated checks to each of these local food pantries.

“There are still a lot of people on the island in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and we want to do what we can to help our community,” says Melvin Stone, President of Surf or Sound Realty. In addition, Surf or Sound Realty’s Avon and Salvo offices serve as year round drop-off locations for both food pantries. Weekly rental guests are encouraged to donate any unopened non-perishable food at the end of their stay, and many are more than happy to help.

Lifeboat Community Church Food Pantry (LCCFP) currently feeds over four hundred families. Reverend Steven M. Simmons says, “We’ll feed everybody. We don’t turn anybody away.” LCCFP goes through about two thousand dollars a week in food and relies on monetary donations as well as donations from local grocery stores.

“Our food pantry is having a hard time keeping up with the high demand right now. We sustained a significant amount of damage in the hurricane but still have had our doors open since days after the hurricane,” said Melinda Baker, Associate Pastor for Lifeboat Community Church.

The Hatteras Island Food Pantry is run by the Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men. Walton Fulcher, Hatteras Island Food Pantry Coordinator, asks for continued support and emphasizes that, “one hundred percent of donations, both food and financial, goes to help the islanders.”

Monetary donations for the Hatteras Island Food Pantry can be made payable by check to United Methodist Men and mailed to Hatteras Island Food Pantry, PO Box 1591, Buxton, NC 27920. Monetary donations for Lifeboat Community Church can be dropped off at 27563 Highway 12 in Salvo, or by mailing checks to Lifeboat Community Church, P.O. Box 84 Salvo, NC 27972.