Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. (GIENC®) Partners with TABLE to Expand Chefs@Home Program for School-Age Children

The collaboration is focused on strengthening regional food systems while improving last-mile delivery to underserved communities.

DURHAM, N.C., May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina (GIENC®) today announced a strategic partnership with TABLE to expand the reach of Chefs@Home, TABLE's established food-kit program serving school-age children in Orange County experiencing food insecurity and their families.

As part of this partnership, GIENC will serve as the exclusive sponsor of the Chefs@Home program for the next year, fully funding the initiative to support its continued delivery and expansion. The program provides monthly food kits to approximately 550 households, equipping children with nutritious ingredients, recipes, and tools to prepare meals at home.

In addition to funding the program, GIENC will play a central operational role by sourcing food, applying its nutrition and education expertise, coordinating volunteers, and assembling Chefs@Home kits at its new Opportunity Campus in Durham, strengthening efficiency and scalability while supporting regional distribution efforts.

"This partnership allows us to build on a proven model and expand its impact," said Christopher Hash, GIENC president & CEO. "By fully supporting Chefs@Home and integrating it into our operational infrastructure, we are advancing a more coordinated approach to food access across eastern North Carolina."

Chefs@Home kits include fresh ingredients, step-by-step recipes, and nutrition education materials developed collaboratively, along with food-based science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) activities designed around ingredients, nutrition, and real-world applications. Each kit also connects children to instructional videos that reinforce meal preparation, nutrition concepts, and hands-on learning at home.

"This collaboration strengthens our ability to serve children and families consistently and effectively," said Ashton Tippins, TABLE executive director. "With Goodwill's support, we can focus on delivering high-quality nutrition education and reaching more households in need."

The partnership represents an important step in GIENC's broader effort to enhance food access through innovative sourcing, nutrition-informed programming, and community-based distribution models. Chefs@Home will serve as a component within Goodwill's emerging Goodwill Feeds initiative, which is focused on strengthening regional food systems and improving last-mile delivery to underserved communities.

By combining GIENC's procurement, assembly, and nutrition capabilities with TABLE's expertise in family engagement and distribution, the partnership creates a scalable model designed to deliver measurable impact for school-age children and families in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Orange County, N.C.

About GIENC

Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. (GIENC®) transforms lives through opportunities. For more than 62 years, GIENC has empowered individuals, families, and communities through employment, education, and life enrichment opportunities. A leader in innovative solutions, GIENC serves 51 counties and operates 43 employment program centers. Proceeds from GIENC stores provide grants to community partners, aid in combating food insecurity, provide free work force development and STEAM educational resources, and support counter human trafficking and veterans outreach initiatives. To donate or learn more about GIENC, visit www.gienc.org.

About TABLE

Founded in 2008, TABLE is a Carrboro-based non-profit with a mission to deliver healthy food and nutrition education to children living in Orange County, N.C. Through our food access programs, TABLE Feeds 1,200 kids every week by delivering fresh food and healthy nonperishables directly to their doorstep and through Chefs@Home, TABLE introduces nutrition concepts through monthly, interactive kits that engage parents and children to encourage them to try new foods and eat nutritiously. We also partner with local and BIPOC-owned farms to source the best quality food for our kids and create a stable revenue stream for local farmers. To learn more about TABLE, visit www.tablenc.org.

For additional information, contact:
Jim Cyphert, APR
Innis Maggiore
Ph: 330-501-9886
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina, Inc. (GIENC®)