An estimated 1 in 5 Durham County households can’t put regular meals on the table (Feeding America). Food insecurity has no single face, color, or ethnicity, no nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. Food insecurity weakens our communities because it leads to poor health and lower education outcomes. It creates an additional obstacle to economic wellbeing. The burden of food security has fallen especially on Durham’s African-American and immigrant communities and has worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

These portraits show some of the inspiring people who have responded to this crisis by supplying free food to those in need. They are among the many Durhamites who run food pantries, cook meals, and give away the vegetables, breads and dairy products they produce.

The photographer, Rhonda Klevansky is a visual storyteller and writer who lives in Durham, NC.  She felt the need to bring attention to the extent of hunger in our county and to those who are working to address the problem.  For more information about these grassroots responses:
endhungerdurham.org

Beginning on Friday, May 21 (our unofficial Third Friday kick-off for 2021!), portraits from the Reaching Out to Durham’s Hungry project will be on view at:
Durham Arts Council
21c Museum Hotel
Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub
Durham Central Park
Museum of Durham History
(View the site map)