Donation Station, is a new project offered by N.C. Cooperative Extension, Catawba County Center, in collaboration with Hickory Farmers Market starting this summer. Donation Station addresses food insecurity,  along with supporting local farmers. Catawba County will join with about 16 other counties that participated in Donation Station in 2024. Start-up materials have been provided by a Steps to Health Snap-Ed grant, provided through N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Volunteers are needed to help with Donation Station. Volunteers will be accepting donated produce and/or cash donations during the market and will use the cash donations to purchase items from local vendors. The produce will be donated to Family Cares Center residents for 2025. This project also helps vendors that might find themselves with extra produce leftover from a market day. There will also be the opportunity to  do some informal education about food insecurity in Catawba County, as you volunteer. Youth ages 12 and older are welcome to volunteer; younger children can volunteer, if accompanied by a parent or responsible adult. Youth volunteers will need to be registered in 4-H Online, if they are not currently a 4-H member.

Donation Station will be set-up at the Hickory Farmers Market on the 1st Wednesday of each month from June-October and a few Saturdays. A Donation Station Volunteer Orientation is planned for Thursday, May 22  at 2:00 p.m. OR 5:30 p.m. at the Agricultural Resources Center.   There is no obligation to volunteer, if you just want to attend the orientation to learn more.  During the orientation, you will learn some basics about how Donation Station works, experience a mock customer interaction with the Donation Station set-up, and learn about the Family Cares Center, who will be receiving the donated produce this summer.