C2Life

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Burke County’s C2Life Foundation, like thousands in the region, lost power at all three of their locations. Foreseeing the storm’s potential impact, C2Life proactively positioned four refrigerated trucks on standby. As employees and volunteers rushed to save the organization’s frozen and refrigerated food, they were also working tirelessly to feed their Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) members and many others in the area who were left without power, water, or a means to communicate.

C2Life delivers healthy, medically tailored meals across 18 WNC counties. When the storm started moving in, many clients were already asking about their food. Knowing how much their clients depend on them, Gracey Anderson, C2Life’s HOP coordinator, swiftly reached out to HOP members to check on their safety and wellbeing.

Within a week of the storm, C2Life learned they would receive a $10,000 grant from Dogwood Health Trust distributed by Impact Health. The team immediately pivoted their traditional work from ready-made frozen meals to shelf-stable meal kits. They headed to Sam’s Club to buy the healthiest shelf-stable foods available, stocking up on pop-top canned foods that didn’t require heating, along with other non-perishables like fruit cups, protein bars and peanut butter.

“We are grateful for the quick release of funds from Impact Health,” said Chasity Poteat Rice, CEO and founder of C2Life Foundation. “Their support was vital to our ability to respond rapidly to the nutritional needs of our neighbors impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. We already had boots on the ground doing whatever we could, but the money from Impact Health enabled us to say, ‘let’s go!’”

“We rallied over 100 volunteers,” Rice continued, “assisting with purchasing, packaging, and distributing shelf stable meals kits throughout WNC. With power being restored to most of the region, we stand ready to ship “heat and eat” meals to those in need as we know these relief efforts aren’t a sprint, but rather a marathon as our food systems are restored.”