The Marcus Harris Foundation is pleased to announce it was awarded a Macon County Community Foundation grant to expand Neighborfood Express, one of its signature programs, into Macon County.
The funding from the award will be used to help alleviate food insecurity for local residents.
Neighborfood Express is the only program of its kind that combines weekly home deliveries of free groceries and essential supplies with case management support for hundreds of food insecure residents.
Families enrolled in the program can receive free, healthy groceries, clothing bundles, diapers, baby supplies, hygienic items, and advanced technology, which is crucial for those who lack personal transportation and have difficulty accessing food and resources on their own.
To date, the program has helped more than 25,000 families become more self-sufficient through higher-paying employment, enrollment in advanced education programs, and access to more affordable housing, among other support services.
Macon County food insecurity
“Since we launched Neighborfood Express in 2020, we’ve helped lift thousands of individuals permanently out of food insecurity through the program,” said Marcus Harris, founder and executive director of the MHF. “We ’re working to spread Neighborfood Express’s transformative impact to even more families nationwide, and this grant from the Macon County Community Foundation is key to helping us achieve that goal.
“According to Feeding America, Macon County has a current food insecurity rate of 17%, higher than the North Carolina statewide average of 14%, and more than 20% of county residents live in food deserts and lack personal transportation, making it difficult for them to get to grocery stores, pantries, and other sources of healthy food. So, we ’re honored the foundation has chosen to support our efforts to expand Neighborfood Express into Macon County, for the benefit of dozens of local residents.”
The MHF will begin supporting residents of Macon County through Neighborfood Express in October 2026, with plans to make its expansion into the county permanent.
“While we ’re launching Neighborfood Express in Macon County on a pilot basis, our goal is to operate the program there permanently,” said Harris. “So, we ’re working to establish partnerships with local businesses and community agencies to solidify our efforts to empower even more Macon County residents over the long-term.”
To learn more about Neighborfood Express, please visit the program’s website at www.neighborfoodexpress.org.
About The Marcus Harris Foundation
The Marcus Harris Foundation is a charitable nonprofit organization committed to the empowerment of underserved kids and families. Its primary goal is to break cycles of intergenerational poverty by helping the individuals and families it serves reach higher levels of self-sufficiency, which it’s done for thousands thus far through its strategic partnerships with hospitals, civic groups, and community agencies nationwide.
To learn more about The Marcus Harris Foundation, please visit its website at www.marcusharrisfoundation.org.
