Each March, the NCBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) partners with Feeding the Carolinas to host the North Carolina Legal Feeding Frenzy, a statewide initiative dedicated to fighting hunger. This friendly competition invites law firms, law schools, sections and legal organizations to collect food and raise funds for local food banks across the state.

The Legal Feeding Frenzy is a tangible way to transform New Year motivation into measurable impact. Find out how law students, sections and members can participate collaboratively in the 2026 Legal Feeding Frenzy here. Registration to participate opens February 17 at 8 a.m. Organizations that register are invited to attend a volunteer Kick-Off event in either Raleigh or Winston-Salem:

Raleigh Kick-Off Event – Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC

Friday, February 20, from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Sign up for the event online.

We hope you will also join us following the volunteer event for a social at Mordecai Beverage Company (it’s right next door)!

Winston-Salem Kick-Off Event – Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC

Friday, March 6, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sign up for the event online.

YLD Member Volunteerism Recap: A Recipe for Giving Back

As 2025 came to a close and we turned to a new year, YLD members demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing food insecurity through service and volunteerism, including:

MLK Jr. Day of Service – January 19, 2026

YLD DEIB Committee and YLD members volunteered at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina as part of the MLK Jr. Day of Service, assisting with the sorting of 20,100 pounds of potatoes equivalent to approximately 17,000 meals.

YLD members volunteered at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina on January 19. Back row, from left, Sidney Thomas, Jeremy Locklear, Hannah Mitchell, Domonique Samuels, Tia Overway, Taylor Gibbs, Sheila Spence, Ryan Collins, Heather Barden, Christina Belville, Alex Gwynn. Front row, from left, Shameka Rolla and Abe Eichner.

Urban Ministries Durham – December 14, 2025

YLD members volunteered alongside the Durham Human Relations Commission (DHRC) and served a hot meal to roughly 170 to 190 Durham residents.

Nick Sorensen and Alex Gwynn served at Urban Ministries on December 14, 2025.

Food Insecurity in North Carolina: Why Action Matters

As the New Year begins and many of us set resolutions around growth, service and impact, it’s important to recognize that thousands of North Carolinians continue to face food insecurity. Recent challenges in 2025, including a government shutdown and temporary suspension of SNAP benefits, have only deepened this issue. Furloughed federal employees went weeks without income, making it difficult to cover basic expenses like groceries, while families who rely on SNAP benefits lost vital support.

In Central and Eastern North Carolina alone, more than 607,000 people — about 1 in 5 residents — experience hunger, and over 505,000 rely on some form of food assistance.

As we set intentions for the year ahead, addressing food insecurity is a critical opportunity to turn New Year’s resolutions into meaningful, collective action.

Resources Across North Carolina

For those seeking additional assistance or looking to support local efforts, resources include:

Durham County | Community Food Resources
Food Pantries — End Hunger Durham
Wake County Food Security Program | Wake County Government
Find Food In Wake County | Wake County Government
Food Assistance | Buncombe County, NC
Food and Nutrition Services | Department of Community Resources
Find Food | Guilford County
Community Food & Nutrition Resources | New Hanover County, NC
NC 211 — Find Local Food Pantries Statewide

Turn Your Resolution into Action

As we step into the New Year, we encourage NCBA members, divisions, sections, and law students to choose a resolution that creates lasting impact.

Join YLD in the 2026 Legal Feeding Frenzy and help move from intention to action by ensuring access to food for communities across North Carolina.

February 12, 2026/by NCBA YLD