The News Herald Features Solo Faith Church's Food Mission

A note from Pastor Doug Lattimore: This month, our food ministry reached a new corner of North Carolina. On June 19, 2026, The News Herald, the daily newspaper serving Morganton and Burke County, published a feature on Solo Faith Church and the work we do in Cabarrus County. Coverage like this carries our story to neighbors well beyond Concord.

From a Search for Chairs to a Food Ministry. Our food work began almost by accident. After we secured a building, we realized the new congregation did not have enough chairs. A fellow pastor connected us with a Hickory ministry willing to donate some, and before the truck was loaded, he asked a question that changed our direction: "Do you need any food?" When Pastor Doug assumed the offer was for his own family, the pastor clarified: "Not for you. For your community." Flyers went unanswered at first, and families were hesitant to come inside. Then food was set outside the building. "When I came back, it was all gone," Pastor Doug told the paper. "I realized there was a real need in our community."

Rethinking What a Food Pantry Can Be. That need led to what is believed to be the first online food pantry in North Carolina, and one of the first in the nation. Instead of asking families to travel to a fixed location during limited hours, neighbors request groceries through an online platform built to make help simple, private, and dignified. The church then added a DoorDash-powered delivery pilot for the neighbors who struggle most to get food home: senior citizens, military veterans, and residents with disabilities. Deliveries include groceries and hygiene items, which sets the program apart, and AI systems help process requests and streamline deliveries.

Why a Newspaper Feature Matters. The News Herald reaches readers across Burke County and the I-40 corridor, neighbors who may not yet know that free, dignified food help exists just down the road in Cabarrus County. "There are only a handful of online food pantries like this in the country," Pastor Doug shared in the feature. "The fact that something like this can grow right here in Concord says a lot about this community."

How to Find Help, or Help Us Reach More Neighbors. To request groceries or learn how delivery works, visit the Solo Faith online food bank at solofaith.org/foodbank. Solo Faith Church is located at 587 Old Charlotte Rd SW, Concord, NC 28027. As the online food pantry and DoorDash delivery program grow, gifts help expand service for seniors, veterans, and disabled residents facing food insecurity and transportation barriers. To sponsor a delivery, visit solofaith.org/giving.

Originally published on the Solo Faith Church blog: https://www.solofaith.org/post/the-news-herald-features-solo-faith-churc...

Community Support Note: This article references reporting published by The News Herald (morganton.com) on June 19, 2026, a community feature carried with free access and sourced from the Greater Cabarrus Foundation. Direct quotations are the words of Pastor Doug Lattimore as published in that feature.