TABLE Reaches Fundraising Goal, Announces Timeline to Move Into New Carrboro Space

After months of fundraising to complete a move, the local hunger relief nonprofit TABLE announced on Thursday that it has reached its goal.

A message from the organization’s leadership said its Room to Grow Capital Campaign is officially finished, having raised $3.25 million to complete the purchase of 311 East Main Street and be debt-free. The effort came as TABLE sought to expand its headquarters in downtown Carrboro for more cooking, storage, and operational space.

According to Executive Director Ashton Tippins, the campaign saw 435 total donors.

“We are beyond thrilled to be able to share this exciting news with everyone, especially with those who supported our capital campaign over the past four years,” she said in Thursday’s release. “Hundreds of donors opened up their hearts to TABLE, to the kids and families we serve, and to the children we will now be able to serve in the future. These donors represent people who support TABLE’s mission of delivering healthy food and nutrition education to kids in Orange County and are deeply invested in ensuring the long term health of children in our community.”

TABLE has operated in Orange County since 2008, starting as a weekly food assistance team for a dozen Chapel Hill-Carrboro elementary students. Since then, the nonprofit’s operations have expanded to cover children of all ages throughout the county — with it lately feeding 850 children consistently with their food program. But with those changes, TABLE realized the 209 East Main Street space its occupied since 2017-18 would not be enough.

In 2022, the Carrboro nonprofit announced its intentions to move further down the street into the area that has been empty for the last decade. Before that, the 8,478 square-foot space — which is around four times bigger than TABLE’s current home — was previously a carpet store.

TABLE’s new home at 311 East Main Street was announced in 2022, but the nonprofit waited to complete its fundraising to become debt-free before preparing to move its operations. (Photo via Google Maps.)

Earlier in 2023, TABLE said the community’s need has grown to such that it was beginning to waitlist children in need of food based on its operational constraints. With the expanded space, though, the nonprofit said it will be able to move past its previous 850-child limit and immediately aim for a 1,000-person threshold. Among the renovations planned for its new headquarters, TABLE will add more warehouse space, a commercial grade kitchen, walk-in refrigeration, space for volunteers, and dedicated meeting space for the nonprofit’s leaders.

“We cannot wait for the day when we can open up the doors of our new home to our staff, volunteers, donors, community partners, and most of all to those who need our services,” said Tippins.

With the campaign completed, TABLE said its goal is to move into the 311 East Main Street building by December 2023. More information about the move and its fundraising efforts can be found on TABLE’s website.

Featured photo via TABLE.

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TABLE Reaches Fundraising Goal, Announces Timeline to Move Into New Carrboro Space

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