Men and Women United for Youth and Families
Located In: Columbus County
Counties Served: Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick, Robeson, and New Hanover
Overview
Men and Women United for Youth and Families, CDC is a non-profit organization located in Delco, North Carolina. Our work promotes economic and personal development in our rural communities of Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus counties. Our flagship program is our Youth Ambassadors program, which provides leadership and enrichment opportunities to local youth. Youth Ambassadors are at the forefront of our food hub work and have a direct role in the Vacation Vittles program and Novant Health farmers market.
Major Programs
Food as Medicine:
Medicaid Healthy Opportunities Pilot: Men and Women United for Youth & Families participates in North Carolina’s innovative health pilot project, which provides preventative care through healthy food boxes and produce prescriptions as part of Medicaid services to eligible Medicaid recipients.
NC DHHS's Healthy Opportunities Pilot (H.O.P.) Program to extend Medicaid benefits to clients with two or more social determinants of health issues (food, housing, transportation, safety / interpersonal violence (IPV)) - MWUYF provides weekly prescription food boxes filled with fresh produce accompanied by grocery bags filled with various shelf-staple food items
Community Food Access
Food pantry partnerships: Through philanthropic donations, we are able to distribute locally-sourced, fresh, healthy food through our network of faith- and community-based food pantries.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program or free food - MWUYF distributes an average of 250, 10-12 pound bags of fresh produce bags weekly, free of charge, to senior centers, daycare centers, low-income household
We provide two free food giveaways each month: 1. TEFAP to Columbus County Residents and 2. general distribution to residents of any county
We provide emergency groceries from our on-site food pantry
Direct Sales
Vacation Vittles: We deliver produce bags filled with fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from local farmers (mostly African American farmers in Bladen and Columbus counties) to visiting vacationers on beaches throughout Southeastern NC. These bags are delivered and dropped off weekly as visitors enjoy their beach vacations.
Vacation Vittles is a Vacation Supported Agriculture (VSA) Program - MWUYF has maintained this program for five years, markets to seven local Brunswick County beaches and looking to expand to more beach communities - we source produce from farmers of Pender, New Hanover, Brunswick counties as well as well
Hospital Farmers Market: Our Youth Ambassadors gain valuable skills selling locally-sourced produce at an on-site farmers market hosted by Novant Health in Wilmington, NC.
Hospital Farmers Market is held every other Thursday in Wilmington, New Hanover County and we are looking to expand with live cooking demonstrations showcasing the local produce offered by our food truck
We partner with the Saturday morning Northside Coop Farmers Market in Wilmington, New Hanover County as well - MWUYF's youth - also looking to expand with live cooking demonstrations in the near future
Wholesale: Men and Women United for Youth & Families partners with local restaurants to provide local, seasonal, fresh food for their menus.
The restaurant owners sometimes provide live cooking demonstrations showcasing the current seasonal produce
