Amy Ellis

5 posts

Pantry Pivots | Technical Assistance Spotlight

August 17, 2026
Centering food pantry clients' ability to choose their own foods is about more than nutrition, it’s about being neighborly. Many pantries pre-select which products are given to its clients. For the food programs themselves, this can be time-consuming and physically demanding on staff and volunteers, and agencies may be investing their money on the wrong products. Neighbors, on the other hand, receive things that they may not use or not know how to prepare.
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A Reflection on Food & SNAP

July 22, 2026
 In June, Come to the Table partnered with Dr. Sarah Bowen and Dr. Annie Hardison-Moody of N.C. State University to host a workshop on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), its history, and how communities can respond in light of recent cuts of the program. The RAFI team led participants through a timeline of the last year as it relates to SNAP. Since October 2025, the food assistance space has taken blow after blow from significant changes and cuts to federal policy.
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Magnolia Cafe in Dunn, NC | Where Dignity Meets Delicious

July 9, 2026
When you walk into Magnolia Cafe in Dunn, North Carolina, you are greeted by a friendly kitchen and the smell of comfort food. A mural of colorful magnolias covers one wall while another showcases the phrase, “Where Dignity Meets Delicious.” Despite being a new cafe, it feels like a place where the locals are regulars. Behind the locally sourced ingredients and the display case of banana pudding, there’s something that makes this cafe extra special.
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2026 Come to the Table Conference Retrospective

April 1, 2026
This March, RAFI held its tenth Come to the Table Conference in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tackling the theme “Food & The Common Good.” Through keynote conversations, panels, workshops, and a storytelling night, the conference was a place for stakeholders to discuss the ways in which our food systems are failing to meet this shared goal and how to take steps together to make a difference.
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