Bounty & Soul expands free food distribution after 300% increase in need

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — With taxes on the rise, budgets tightening and the local economy still recovering after Tropical Storm Helene, access to fresh food can feel like a luxury. Bounty & Soul sees it as a human right.

“We know that the most affordable food is highly processed. It’s unhealthy. 
It’s the fill-your-belly type of food, which eventually erodes health. So, you’re either paying the farmer or you’re paying the doctor,” said Ali Casparian, founder of Bounty & Soul, a Black Mountain-based food distribution nonprofit. “We believe that food is medicine and that food should be available to everyone.”

Feeding fresh food to thousands

Six days a week, Bounty & Soul provides free produce to the Western North Carolina community at markets across the region. Attendees receive food like leafy greens, a carton of eggs and fresh fruit, no questions asked.

The number of those in need is growing. After the COVID-19 pandemic and the more recent devastation of Helene, the nonprofit has vastly expanded its operation to meet a surge in demand.

“We have seen a 724% increase in need and participation in our markets since COVID,” said Casparian. “We expanded our markets a little bit, bigger sites, to hold enough people, and then the hurricane hit, and then we saw another 300% increase. So, that’s where we are today. 
What was five markets is now 10. We have a mobile truck program, we have a home delivery program, we’re serving about 28,000 people a month, and before Helene, we were serving about 11,000.”

To feed those 28,000 people, Bounty & Soul will invest $1.4 million into the regional food system in 2026.

That sum is manageable, Casparian explained, through donors, grants and an annual budget, as well as the work of around 170 weekly volunteers.

Volley of volunteers

Volunteer options at Bounty & Soul include work like managing market food trucks, moving heavy loads of produce and dropping boxes of groceries off at homes all over the county.

“I mean, they’re all over the place. Those are volunteers that are driving, which is incredible, with the gas prices and everything. That’s volunteer-run,” Casparian said. “People love that program because it’s such an intimate, personal responsibility, to hand-deliver a beautiful box of food to a family that you get to know over week-to-week and see week-to-week. 
It becomes as much emotional and personal as it does physical, as far as food support.”

Mackenzie Mealing, a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, has volunteered with Bounty & Soul for nearly three years.

Mealing said that the work Bounty & Soul volunteers do extends past food access.

“We go beyond just food sovereignty, with giving people free and fresh produce from our partners around Western North Carolina,” Mealing said. “We actually go beyond in ways of educating people about how to use the produce that we’re giving them. Recipes. Also, programs that are set up for the public, and accessible programs, so they can understand more about their health and wellness.”

Mealing was proud to be part of the Bounty & Soul mission, especially as costs continue to rise for WNC families.

“I mean, everything’s getting more expensive, right? It’s getting harder for families to make ends meet, even with SNAP benefits, and I think that we help fill in the cracks that might exist right now in our city,” Mealing said. “There’s a big need for food equity here, and we’re able to help out with that, which is awesome.”

Where are Bounty & Soul markets located? Places to pick up produce

Casparian emphasized that Bounty & Soul markets are for anyone dealing with food insecurity, regardless of means, income, lifestyle or background.

“This is who the program is for: It’s for people who are experiencing food insecurity. But, if you want to be part of the programs, you want to volunteer, if you want to contribute in some way, you’re more than welcome,” Casparian said. “I always get asked that question, you know, ‘are there people that come and take it?’ and I said, if they are, that is a very, very small percentage.”

The purpose of Bounty & Soul is more than simply feeding your household, Casparian explained. It is about feeding the soul, too.

“Everybody is there for something. It could be community. It could be someone’s there to get a hug. It could be people are there for connection. 
But never do we feel that people are there to take advantage. It’s not the vibration we carry,” Casparian said.

In order to serve as many people as possible, Bounty & Soul market locations and times rotate throughout the week.

Bounty & Soul market schedule

Monday