From the desk of the County Manager,

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a $1.9 trillion investment in America’s communities to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this legislation, the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) provided $350 billion to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to utilize to support local recovery efforts from the economic, public health, and social impacts of the pandemic. Through the SLFRF program, Durham County received an allocation of $62,445,275, which the Board of County Commissioners subsequently allocated across individual projects using a comprehensive framework prioritizing investments in long-term economic recovery and immediate relief for local communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. 

One of the Board’s critical priorities in utilizing the ARPA funds was to improve food security in Durham, as the pandemic led to food business closures, disrupted supply chains, and intensified economic hardship for residents — exacerbating existing barriers to accessing nutritious, culturally relevant, and affordable food for many Durham residents. In response, the Board directed the County to allocate $3.5 million of ARPA funds to support four separate food security initiatives.

These investments targeted several intervention areas, including emergency food assistance and efforts to create sustainable, system-level changes. Read on to learn more:

Northeast Central Durham Market 

One key County ARPA food security investment has supported the establishment of a new market in Northeast Central Durham, aimed at improving food security for low-income residents and uplifting underrepresented local vendors. The County selected Communities in Partnership (CIP), a community-rooted organization in East Durham, as the vendor to establish and manage the market, allocating $500,000 to establish and operate the market during 2024 and 2025. Since April 2024, the market has stocked quality, nutritious foods, including fresh produce and other household essentials, to ensure residents in adjoining neighborhoods have a convenient option to purchase food and necessities. The market also prioritizes local sourcing; last year, the market purchased $16,721 in products from local farms and business owners within a 400-mile radius. CIP continues to build new vendor partnerships, expand its staff team, and host events to extend the reach and impact of the market. Please visit the market at 306 Driver St., Durham, NC, and follow their Instagram to stay updated. 

Emergency Food Assistance Program 

To address increased urgent food needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, $1.99 million of ARPA funding was allocated for an emergency community food assistance program to support food pantries and emergency food providers by enabling food bank partners to purchase food at wholesale or bulk rates, significantly increasing the amount of resources available to families in need. This initiative has been managed by Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina (NC), nonprofits working to end food insecurity in NC through food recovery, distribution, and empowerment programs.  

Since the program’s launch in February 2024, 38 pantries have received monthly food deliveries, equating to a monthly average of $3,604 worth of food per site. As of April 2025, nearly 1.5 million pounds of food have been delivered to Durham residents, equating to over 1.2 million meals for local families. This support as been vital for local food pantries in responding to the increased need for food assistance in the years following the pandemic – Sue Williams of the Durham Community Food Pantry shared, “I want to say a tremendous ‘THANK YOU’ for everything you contribute to my pantry. Since partnering with you, the amount of fresh produce you give us has improved the nutritional aspects of my clients’ lives. You are an amazing force in the world of food insecurity.” 

Double Bucks 

The third ARPA food security initiative – the Double Bucks (DB) Initiative – received $480,396 of ARPA funds to provide dollar-for-dollar matches for SNAP benefits, Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers, and benefits for individuals receiving Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or public housing assistance. Farmer Foodshare, a local nonprofit that supports small and medium North Carolina farms to meet food security needs, serves as the program’s fiscal sponsor. DB incentives can be used for any SNAP-eligible market purchases, not just fruits and vegetables, which allows customers to choose and purchase top quality, culturally relevant, local food with dignity. This funding support four farmers markets: Durham Farmers’ Market, South Durham Farmers’ Market, the Durham location of the Black Farmers’ Market, and the North Durham Farmers’ Market.  

Through the ongoing DB Program, a total $141,792 was distributed to local Durham farmers and food businesses at these markets from July – March 2025. During this time, nearly 370 unique residents with SNAP have shopped with DB. In a survey of 86 participants, 99% agreed that DB makes food affordable, and 95% said they eat more fruits and vegetables because of DB. One program participant reported, “I only get a few dollars a month. This is the only way I can buy fruits and vegetables. I love this program, thank you.” For more information about federal and local food assistance programs, please visit USA.gov’s Food Help page and Durham County's Food Security resource page. 

Food Security Grants 

Lastly, Durham County allocated $532,000 of ARPA funds to a Food Security Grants Program, which awards grants to local organizations implementing sustainable, community-driven food security projects. The County contracted CIP to oversee grant distribution and support projects addressing food, infrastructure, and operational needs. For the current cycle, twenty-six grantees were awarded grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to support programming from February 2025 through July 2025.  Specific project examples for this cycle include projects to address herbal education and community gardening for Latine youth, food assistance and education at community pantries, a community cafe project, and other projects aimed to strengthening food security in Durham County. In its most recent budget, the Board of County Commissioners approved $332,000 in local funding to sustain the grant program for future grant cohorts. 

We recognize that food is part of a complex system—deeply connected to our community’s health, environment, and economy. In partnership with local organizations, the County is proud to support solutions that meet immediate needs while building a more just, resilient, and sustainable food system. We look forward to the lasting impact these initiatives will have on the health and well-being of all Durham residents.  

Until next time,

Claudia Hager | County Manager