PubCorps relaunch event packs 60,000 meals for WNC families

Local nonprofit organization brings 180 volunteers to the RailYard

The Valley Echo
May 25, 2023

Approximately 180 volunteers attended the PubCorps relaunch event, May 7, at the RailYard. The nonprofit organization packed 60,000 meals for area families, while each volunteer enjoyed a free drink after the event. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Higgins

PubCorps, a local nonprofit founded in 2019 by Black Mountain business owner John Richardson, relaunched, May 7, with a large meal-packing event hosted at The RailYard. Approximately 180 volunteers gathered to pack nearly 62,000 shelf-stable meals, which were then distributed to families in need across Western N.C., by community partner Manna FoodBank.

Following the meal-packing event, volunteers enjoyed a free beverage of choice, courtesy of PubCorps, which reiterated its commitment to tackling food insecurity within the region while also building community connections through volunteering.

Richardson founded PubCorps with a vision to address the crisis of loneliness sweeping across communities. Recognizing the transformative power of volunteering, he sought to make volunteering simple, accessible and fun.

By combining the act of giving back and sharing a drink with newfound friends, the founder aimed to create a unique platform that would strengthen human connection while making a tangible impact on the pressing issue of food insecurity in Buncombe County.

The nonprofit’s initial launch event included 538 volunteers who packed 108,000 meals for families in the region. After the event, volunteers gathered to share a beer and a meal, sponsored by Wicked Weed and PubCorps. Unfortunately, in 2020 the pandemic forced the organization to pause its large-scale events. 

PubCorps volunteer gather at the RailYard, May 7, as the Black Mountain-based nonprofit organization packed 60,000 meals for area families. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Higgins

During this hiatus, PubCorps refined its operation, recognizing the need for a permanent venue for the organization's meal-packing events, Richardson established The RailYard Blk Mtn, a taproom, restaurant and community gathering space that opened in April of this year.

The RailYard’s 7,000-square-foot building was thoughtfully designed to become the official host of PubCorps' regular meal-packing events. The large open-concept space features five garage doors to allow for multiple meal-packing lines and easy transport of those meals from the building to delivery trucks.

"When planning the relaunch of PubCorps, we knew we had a great idea and the support of our community,” Richardson said. “Now, with The RailYard as our home, we have the space and resources to make it happen." 

The impact of PubCorps' relaunch event extends beyond the number of meals packed. It reaffirms the organization's core missions of creating human-to-human connections and combating hunger within the community. While each mission is commendable on its own, the organization’s founding tenets are also intrinsically linked. 

“We may not know what the solution is, but we’re willing to buy everybody a beer to talk about it,” Richardson said. “We’re facilitating that conversation and harnessing the power of our community to make a difference.”