AHOSKIE – The Ahoskie Food Pantry is a community-based non-profit going above and beyond serving the town of Ahoskie and Hertford County.

Enviva of Ahoskie recently aided the pantry in its effort to continue to impact the health and wellness of those in need.

Jennifer Byrd, HR Generalist at Enviva Ahoskie, volunteers on the fundraising committee of the pantry and secured $500 in donations on behalf of the plant, presenting the contribution Friday, January 20.

“Being able to facilitate the contribution from my company to the Food Pantry and Power Packs is important for our town. There are so many that go without at times, but having the food pantry is a blessing,” said Byrd.

As of mid-2016, in six months the food pantry was able to provide meals to 560 families, representing more than 1,200 people in Hertford County. They also provided more than 4,300 Power Pack after-school meals to Hertford County students, and raised more than 3,500 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution from their community garden.

The pantry is home of dozens of volunteers across civic organizations, churches, and private individuals, and unlike many food pantries are able to operate five days a week to support community needs.

These contributions are part of Enviva’s continuing efforts to improve social fabric and quality of life across the company’s footprint in North Carolina and the Southeast US.

Along with supporting civic projects and support for families in need at its pellet plants, port terminals, and offices in six states, recently the company assembled $50,000 in donations for food pantries and volunteer first responders in North Carolina and Virginia to assist recovery from Hurricane Matthew.