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From David Clegg

Tyrrell County Manager

Tyrrell County Food Bank project received a tremendous boost when Tyrrell County received a $100,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation. The grant will be paired with an $180,000 Community Development Block Grant to construct a food bank facility for the county. It is estimated that 22% of the county’s population is food insecure.

The facility will be located on the site of the recently demolish Flair Building next door to Tyrrell Hall on U.S. Highway 64 East. The Cannon Foundation grant award will allow Tyrrell County to place for bid a 1660 square foot facility. The food bank will be an affiliate of the distribution system of the Food Bank of the Albemarle. Architects for the facility are Cahoon and Kasten of Nags Head.

It is the intention of the Tyrrell County Board of Commissioners to create a non-profit corporation to operate the food bank with management assistance from the county commissioners, Tyrrell County DSS, Tyrrell Senior Adult Center and community based religious and civic organization. The building and equipment will remain property of Tyrrell County.

“This new facility will be a great tribute to the faithful volunteers of the Church Road Emergency Food Pantry,” said Tommy Everett, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners.

County Manager David Clegg commented, “This food bank building will allow us to take full advantage of opportunities to assist our food insecure citizens and leverage many government and private resources.”

The Cannon Foundation was formed in 1943 by Charles A. Cannon, chairman and president of the Cannon Mills Company. The foundation, located in Concord, N.C., continues his philanthropic legacy by funding primarily capital and infrastructure projects for organizations across the state of North Carolina. TO date, the foundation has awarded grants totaling more than $305 million.