Santa Claus isn’t the only one delivering presents this year. The NCDA&CS Food Distribution Division recently delivered nearly 1,600 cases of cheese to the MANNA FoodBank in Asheville.
The packages of cheddar and mozzarella were supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to a food bank in Knoxville, Tenn., but there was more cheese than was needed. So the Food Distribution Division stepped in to make sure the cheese could be put to use in western North Carolina, where the demand for food assistance is high.
Two tractor-trailers from the division’s Salisbury warehouse traveled to Knoxville last week, loaded the cheese and took it to Asheville. MANNA is distributing the cheese to people in need in the 16 counties served by the organization.
The Food Distribution Division administers nine food programs in North Carolina under an agreement with USDA. The division also operates the popular Farm to School Program that strives to make more N.C. fruits and vegetables available to schools in the state.