North Charlotte Today

The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation has made a significant contribution to combat food insecurity in Mecklenburg County. The foundation, associated with the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC owners, announced a $3 million donation to Nourish Up, formerly known as Loaves & Fishes/Friendship Trays.

Nourish Up, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating food insecurity in Charlotte-Mecklenburg for nearly 50 years, received its largest donation to date. “We are honored that Nicole and Dave have chosen to invest and stand in support of the individuals and families we serve,” said Tina Postel, CEO of Nourish Up. “At Nourish Up, we will continue to ensure that all of our neighbors have access to healthy food.”

The funds will support Nourish Up’s new Hunger Hub, a 90,000-square-foot facility set to open on June 21 in central Charlotte. The facility aims to provide extensive resources for those facing food and nutrition insecurity. "Food insecurity has always been one of our key pillars for the foundation," said Nicole Tepper during a visit to the Hunger Hub facility. "It has been a problem nationally for a long time, and it's a big problem here in Charlotte. Seeing the impact and scale of work by Nourish Up, we’re proud to team up with them to nourish our neighbors and fight food insecurity in Mecklenburg County."

Since 2018, The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation has distributed over $6.4 million to food banks and related agencies across the Carolinas. The new Hunger Hub is located in the Thomasboro-Hoskins neighborhood on Carrier Drive. This location will enable Nourish Up to directly serve numerous individuals with increased resources.

With the addition of the Hunger Hub facility, Nourish Up plans to enhance its capacity significantly. The facility will include an onsite food pantry and a state-of-the-art teaching kitchen among other features, enabling staff and volunteers to provide groceries and meals through both food pantries and home delivery services.

"Pardon the pun, but this is a game changer for us," said Postel regarding the donation from The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation. "We are seeing food insecurity needs at an all-time high, so a transformational gift like this will help us meet the growing demand." She emphasized that this donation would not only help feed people but also ensure they have access to fresh healthy food.

In 2023 alone, Nourish Up provided groceries to 137,806 individuals compared to 106,000 individuals in 2022—a 30 percent increase. With this new donation aiding their expansion efforts, Nourish Up aims for further growth.

"They're trailblazers in this space," said Nicole Tepper about Nourish Up's impact on the community. "There are so many great things that Nourish Up is doing that we haven't seen being done in other places."

The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation focuses on addressing pressing societal issues through innovative solutions with an emphasis on community-based projects. The recent donation forms part of Nourish Up’s $23 million capital campaign aimed at launching the Hunger Hub.