Welcome to The Community Table
The Community Table is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been serving nutritious meals in a welcoming environment to our neighbors in need since 1999. It is our vision that no one in Jackson County goes to bed hungry. Meals are served on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 4-6 p.m. Everyone is welcome and there is never a fee. Our pantry provides food boxes for home use; please call or e-mail for details. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, so come enjoy a nutritious home-cooked meal with us.
Due to space and time constraints, The Community Table’s Food for Kids program is now administered by Cullowhee Baptist Church in conjunction with MANNA Food Bank and is now known as MANNAPacks. However, The Table is still serving children and families throughout the year with our Food Pantry Program. We are able to help children at-risk or suffering from food insecurity and hunger, including those too young to be enrolled in school and have access to school lunches. Please help us by hosting a food drive and collecting nonperishable items for our pantry, for our families. Please contact us at ctofjackson@gmail.com for a current Wish List of needed items.
The Community Garden is an organic garden maintained by dedicated volunteer gardeners. The garden helps provide The Community Table with fresh produce to use in meal preparation and to distribute to our guests. Please click here to learn more.
From the Director:
We did it! In July 2012, The Community Table finally moved into our new home. The Table is now located on Central Street next to Sylva Pool and across from Poteet Park. Many thanks to everyone who made the move possible- our amazing volunteers, guests, donors, board of directors, local businesses and organizations, Jackson County and the Town of Sylva. Special thanks to contractor John Beckman and plumber Ernie Betz for donating countless hours of their time and expertise to save us thousands on the cost of extensive renovations. The Table now has the additional dining, kitchen, and storage space we need in a permanent home.
We are also very thankful to Sylva Church of Christ for providing us a wonderful home on Bartlett Street for many years, allowing us to carry out our vital mission to provide nutritious meals to our neighbors in need in a welcoming environment.
A great addition to our Central Street home is the self-shop pantry, offering folks greater choice in the groceries they take home. In the near future, we also look forward to partnering with WCU Nutrition Department and others to offer classes on a variety of topics. Beginning this fall, The Community Table will also house the Jackson County Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings November- March.
Our numbers so far this year indicate we’ll be even busier than our last; we served 16,741 meals and provided 2,008 food boxes for home use in 2011. I am often asked where our support comes from, and the answer is- you. Most of our support, both financial and in-kind, comes from donations from our community. I am very proud to live in such a beautiful place as WNC, with wonderful neighbors who truly care for one another's well being.
I ask for your support so that we may continue and improve our efforts to serve those in need in our community. We need financial contributions to help us with the many expenses of keeping The Table running. We need donations of food throughout the year, to be used both in meal preparation and to distribute to our clients. We need volunteers to help us with the many tasks for The Table. Together we can make sure that no one in Jackson County goes to bed hungry.
Amy Grimes, Executive Director
July 2012
Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section at 1-888-830-4989. This license is not an endorsement by the State.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 1-800-795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.