It’s Not Just About Food
Setting up for a distribution
Chatham Chuckwagon is a program of the Chatham Alliance. It hosts a weekly food distribution, that begins at 4:30 every Tuesday, where volunteers hand out homemade, frozen meals to anyone and everyone who would like one in the community.
Community members just drive through and tell the volunteers how many meals they want and which of the available meal options they would like. These meals are not only for those in need but also for those who want one. Even though the distribution begins at 4:30, people begin lining up at 4, and on the day that I visited, around 170 servings have been given away, just in the first 30 minutes.
The meals handed out are cooked, vacuum sealed, and frozen so that they stay fresh, and are made through the churches and their volunteers. Each church alternates weeks when they cook. In 2023, over 20,000 servings were given away. One bag holds two servings, so you get two entrees in each bag. One woman who drove by said “It's amazing and it works for everyone including middle-class families with two incomes.
Food samples
It works for everyone whether you need help or just a cooking break. The food is delicious and is distributed by welcoming and kind volunteers.
The distribution is advertised for all with no exclusivity so that everyone feels welcome and no need to qualify to get the meals”. When asking folks who came through for their opinions on the program or if they had any special memories that came from it, a common response was “it's a gift that keeps on giving…a wonderful program and a big help to people…it's helpful and loved”! Another woman said that through Chuckwagon Distribution, a couple living near her was able to “get back on their feet” with the support of the meals after having a baby. Another grandmother said that whenever she gets the meals, she “knows it is going to be good for her and her daughter's family” and she also said that the “kids love it”! If you know someone who can’t come and pick up the meals, you can take multiple meals when you come.
When a few of the volunteers were asked why they volunteered for Chuckwagon, they said “it is a way to accomplish an undeniable need in the community”. It is only with the help of volunteers can we continue to support community members.
The volunteers enjoy giving back to their community, while “meeting and building relationships with folks in the community”. Even if you can’t come and volunteer, or you don’t want the meals, you can still help the Chuckwagon distribution by spreading the word to others you know so that they know it's a resource they could use!
Chuckwagon started with 3 community churches and has now grown to 6 churches, including one in Siler City, several businesses and other charitable organizations.
