Community Cares

Community Cares is a grocery assistance program operating inside Rite Buy, an independent grocery store in the heart of Swannanoa. Eligible residents receive a monthly benefit loaded directly onto a store card, giving them the freedom to choose the foods that work for their family, without the limitations of a traditional food pantry. The program is designed not just to address hunger, but to restore dignity and normalcy to households still finding their footing after Hurricane Helene. Since launch, participants have seen a 33.5-point improvement in food security scores, a number that reflects real, measurable change in people's daily lives.