Get ready for a warmer winter as La Niña makes a comeback, bringing below-normal snowfall to our area. 

La Niña returns: Expect warmer winter with below-normal snowfall for Triangle in 25-26

winter weather snow showers

Michelle Mackonochie - familiar to WRAL viewers after five years as part of the morning news team - will anchor the 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts with Dan Haggerty, and the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts with Gerald Owens. 

WRAL welcomes Michelle Mackonochie to evening newscasts beginning Jan. 5

Michelle Mackonochie

What it really means to be an organ and bone marrow donor

Stay up to date with WRAL’s Hunger relief news and reporting coverage

Hunger relief News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

Hunger relief Coverage

Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025-- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist

DRAUGHON DRAWS: Cutting SNAP benefits is as cold as ice

Filling bags and boxes to battle hunger worldwide. WRAL captured a big volunteer project in Raleigh that will help children worldwide. 

BEST FOR YOU. >> TAKE A LOOK AT THIS VIDEO FROM EARLIER TODAY. HUNDREDS OF HELPERS AND HAIR NETS GETTING READY TO VOLUNTEER AT THE RISE AGAINST HUNGER WAREHOUSE IN NORTH RALEIGH. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY WERE DOING, FILLING BOXES WITH SOY PROTEIN. VITAMIN PACKETS, RICE AND DRIED VEGETABLES TO BE SHIPPED AROUND THE WORLD. AND WHEN ALL OF THOSE BOXES FILL A SINGLE TRUCK, THAT'S ENOUGH FOOD FOR 285,000 MEALS. ORGANIZERS SAY ONE BOX HAS ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED ITS SINGLE CHILD FOR A WHOLE YEAR. CHILDREN ARE AMONG TODAY'S VOLUNTEERS. >> A LOT OF FUN. THAT GONG SOUNDED EVERY TIME A NEW PACKAGING. BIG TO MARK WAS REACHED. SOME FOLKS FILLED THE FOOD BAGS, SOME SEALED AND LABELED THEM WHILE OTHERS PACKED THEM IN BOXES AND LOADED THEM UP. TODAY'S EVENT WAS AN EFFORT TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TOGETHER TO WORK TOWARDS THE COMMON GOAL. FIGHTING HUNGER WORLDWIDE. >> WE CALL FOR TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS AND THEY TELL US THAT 9 OUT OF 10 TEETH THESE MEAL, THAT'S THE ONLY MEAL THEY'LL BE THAT DAY. AND SO NOT ONLY ARE WE FEEDING KIDS, WE'RE ALLOWING THEM TO GET AN EDUCATION WHICH BREAKS THAT CYCLE OF POVERTY JOB. BUT HE >> TODAY'S EVENT LASTED MOST OF THE DAY WITH 3 DIFFERENT

Volunteers pack food boxes at Rise Against Hunger Warehouse in Raleigh 

As summer break looms, many Wake County children face the challenge of food insecurity, but Dillard Drive Magnet Elementary School students are tackling the issue with an innovative cereal box drive.


Wake County students fight summer hunger with cereal box domino demo

Cereal dominio drop at Dillard Drive Elementary

1 out of 7 children in eastern and central North Carolina do not get enough food and Chatham County has a 14% child food insecurity rate. The Chatham Outreach Alliance is hoping to change those statistics.

Chatham Co. nonprofit tackling food insecurity in county with DoorDash

CORA volunteers

Thursday is Hunger Relief Day at the North Carolina State Fair, meaning you can get in for free with six cans of food.

OF A CON DOOR HAD TO BE REMOVED BY SURGERY. >> THE DEAL OF THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIR TODAY AND GET IN FOR FREE. IF YOU BRING CANNED FOOD DONATIONS. RENEE CHOU JOINS US AT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS RIGHT NOW TO TELL US ALL ABOUT WHAT IS A POPULAR DAY. ALWAYS AT THE FAIR HUNGER RELIEF DAY. RENEE. >> JEFF, IT IS HUGELY POPULAR AND WE'RE GETTING GROUND TRUTH HERE OUT AT GATE. ONE AT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS HAVE BEEN WATCHING PEOPLE COMING IN AND ABOUT 75% OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING IN THROUGH THE GATES THERE, BRINGING IN A BAG OF CANNED FOOD. SO HERE'S THE DEAL. IF YOU BRING IN 6 CAMP THAT WILL GET YOU FREE ADMISSION TO THE STATE FAIR. AND IF YOU'RE IN A LARGE GROUP OR YOU HAVE A LARGE FAMILY THAT CAN CERTAINLY ADD UP TO BIG SAVINGS. BUT WHAT'S REALLY BEHIND THIS DRIVE FOR ONE OF THE STATE'S LARGEST CANNED FOOD DRIVES FOR A SINGLE DAY? IT'S CERTAINLY TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS AND HELP THOSE MAKE SURE THEY DON'T GO HUNGRY. SO HERE'S THE SET UP. WE'VE GOT THE BIG SMITHFIELD FOODS TRUCK HERE. THE GOAL IS TO FILL THIS TRUCK WITH ALL THAT CAN CAUSE PEOPLE WALK THROUGH THE GATE. THEY'RE BRINGING IN THESE CANNED GOODS CAN GET TO THESE NICE FOLKS THERE AND THEY'RE PUTTING IT UP IN THE TRUCK AND ALL THIS FOOD WILL GO TO THE FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. IT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG ITS PARTNERS TO THE FOLKS WHO NEED IT. AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING UP THIS MORNING WHY THEY WANTED TO DONATE >> WE ALWAYS COME ON CANNED WE CAN OUR FELLOW NEIGHBORS AND WE GET INTO THE FAIR FOR >> IT IS A WIN-WIN. SO VOLUNTEERS AT EVERY GATE FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIR WILL BE THERE TO COLLECT YOUR

Hunger Relief Day at the North Carolina State Fair

Hunger Relief Day at the NC State Fair

North Carolina's new budget includes several provisions aimed at making free meals more accessible to students in schools across the state.

JOIN OVER 400 SHOPS THAT OPENED IN MACY'S STORES BACK IN 2021. STATE LAWMAKERS ARE TAKING STEPS TO FIGHT HUNGER IN NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOLS. THE NEW STATE BUDGET INCLUDES MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HELP MORE KIDS EAT FOR FREE AT SCHOOL THIS YEAR. >> WRAL CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA LESLIE JOINING US LIVE VIA ZOOM WITH A LOOK AT SEVERAL BUDGET PROVISIONS THAT WE FOUND. LAURA, THANKS FOR JOINING US. SOME STATES ARE MOVING TO PROVIDE FREE BREAKFAST AND FREE LUNCH TO ALL STUDENTS IN SCHOOL WITH THESE MOVES. NOW IN THE BUDGET IS NORTH CAROLINA TIPTOEING TOWARD THAT DIRECTION? >> PROBABLY NOT QUITE YET, BUT THERE IS MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO HELP FOR LOW-INCOME KIDS. EAT FOR FREE. SOME STUDENTS MEET FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR FREE LUNCHES, BUT OTHERS TO AND ONLY QUALIFY FOR REDUCED PRICE LUNCHES MIGHT ONLY BE A DOLLAR OR 2, BUT SOMETIMES THAT'S MORE THAN HALF THE BUDGET INCLUDES 6 MILLION DOLLARS TO COVER THE STUDENTS. PRICE MAKING THAT MEAL FREE ABOUT 25,000 STUDENTS STATEWIDE PAY. THAT REDUCED PRICE. THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER THEM. >> EVEN WITH THOSE REDUCED PRICES, WE HAVE DONE SO MANY STORIES ON OUTSTANDING SCHOOL LUNCH DEBT AND HOW SCHOOLS TRY TO RECOUP THAT MONEY FROM FAMILIES. THE BUDGET SET SOME BOUNDARIES. NOW, THOUGH, FOR WHAT THEY CAN DO AND WHAT THEY CAN'T RIGHT. >> YEAH, DEFINITELY DRAW SOME LINES. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD OF CASES WHERE SCHOOLS HAVE WITHHELD STUDENTS REPORT CARDS IF THEY OWED MONEY FOR MEALS. IN SOME CASES, STUDENTS AT SCHOOLS, RATHER EVEN BLOCK STUDENTS FROM GRADUATING IT OFF THE DEBT. THE BUDGET SAYS SCHOOLS CANNOT DO THAT OR PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO POST ADMINISTRATIVE FINES OR PENALTIES ON STUDENTS WHO CAN'T PAY TRUSTING. AND ANOTHER THING I WANTED SOME EXPLANATION FOR. THERE'S ALSO THIS INCENTIVE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS TO SIGN UP FOR A FEDERAL PROGRAM FOR FREE STUDENT MEALS. HOW DOES THAT WORK? EXACTLY. >> YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY SCHOOL QUALIFIES FOR THIS. THEY HAVE TO HAVE CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD QUALIFY FOR A FREE OR REDUCED PRICE LUNCH. BUT IF THEY DO QUALIFY, THERE'S A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT COVERS MOST OF THE COSTS. IF SCHOOLS PROVIDE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO ALL THE STUDENTS THERE AT NO CHARGE ADVOCATES SAY IT GETS RID OF THE STIGMA FOR FOOD ASSISTANCE, ABOUT 3 OUT OF 5 SCHOOLS IN NORTH CAROLINA HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THIS PROGRAM. BUT SOME SCHOOLS THIS SCHOOL DO HAVE TO PAY SOME OF THE COSTS FOR SOME SCHOOLS. IT'S BEEN TOO EXPENSIVE. SO LAWMAKERS PUT SOME EXTRA MONEY IN THE STATE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR TO HELP THOSE SCHOOLS PAY THEIR SHARE IN THE PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT, LAURA LESLIE, REPORTING FOR US VIA ZOOM THANKYOU SO MUCH. YOU CAN READ MORE. >> ABOUT SCHOOL MEAL FUNDING

New state budget includes money to feed more low-income school children

New state budget takes aim at hunger in schools

school lunch generic

As students prepare to return to school, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is working to make sure local kids have food to eat by ending childhood hunger. 

One in six Children are at risk of going without food in North Carolina and Children who are hungry face greater difficulty in school resulting in lower test scores and other academic issues. Ron Pringle is the president and CEO of Interfaith Food Shuttle. Our teachers are responding, telling us that Children are missing school, they're not focused and sometimes even being labeled as troublemakers simply because food is not there. The impact of hunger goes beyond school performance. According to Sydney Klein Meru, the Food Security Program manager at Wake County Cooperative Extension, food insecure child experiencing that stress of not enough food, their physical structures of their brain do not form the same as a child from a food secure home. And that long term will impact a child's educational attainment, their testing scores and even into adult life, how they can seek employment and earn a living wage to end that cycle of poverty. Food insecure Children come from food insecure families. An interfaith food shuttle is working to combat that through initiatives like the Backpack program where a child can receive food over the weekend. These are programs that are available for any individual that may find themselves in a position that they've never been in or they may be working themselves out of. We want them to know that they are not alone and the food shuttle is here as that neighbor as a part of this community, taking care of a community reporting. Willie Danley WRL News.

 Inter-Faith Food Shuttle wants to erase childhood hunger

As students gear up for the school year, the spotlight turns to child hunger.

Backpack Buddies program helps kids, families eat healthy even on weekends

Over the course of the 2023-24 school year, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Food Pantries Program is expected to serve over 13,000 students and their families.

Food pantries in school feed thousands of students and families

Updated Food Insecurity Plan approved for Wake County

With over 37,000 children in Wake County struggling with food insecurity, Wake County Commissioners voted unanimously to add millions to various strategies to help 

Wake County Commissioners approve updated Food Security Plan

Wake County Justice Center

With the cost of everything on the rise, including groceries, many North Carolinians are turning to food banks to feed their families.



With inflation stretching budgets thin, food banks reporting increase in families needing help 

More people turn to food banks as grocery prices surge 

YOU HOW HOT IT'S GOING TO FEEL THIS WEEK. COMING UP, ALRIGHT, KATC YOU THEN. >> WITH THE COST OF EVERYTHING ON THE RISE THESE DAYS, INCLUDING GROCERIES. MANY NORTH CAROLINIANS ARE FORCED TO GO TO FOOD BANKS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES. IN FACT, LOCAL FOODBANKS HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OF MORE THAN 40% AND THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC WR IS AARON THOMAS IS LIVE IN RALEIGH TONIGHT. AN ERRAND. >> THAT DEMAND IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN HIGH OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS. >> YEAH, GERALD, AND THIS IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO THIS USUALLY INVOLVES A PROCESS WITH FOOD COMING OFF OF THESE PALLETS, THE END UP IN THESE TRUCKS ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE HOME. THE ORGANIZERS HERE TELL ME THAT THEY'VE ALREADY DISTRIBUTED 2 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD. EVERY WEEK. >> WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING A STOP AT THE GROCERY STORE. SHOPPERS LIKE BRIAN SPEER FEEL THE IMPACT OF RISING COSTS, FINED $50 WITH THE GROCERIES. NOW 75 $80. SO IT'S IT'S REALLY NOT THAT NICE. THESE HIGH PRICES BROUGHT ON BY INFLATION ARE PUSHING SOME PEOPLE TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS AS A WAY TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE. SO THE NEED HAS ALREADY BEEN SPIKING THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. JENNIFER CASTLE AND TELLS ME THE INCREASED DEMAND AS NO SURPRISE AS SOME NORTH CAROLINIANS STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET THESE DAYS BECAUSE OF THE RISING COSTS OF THINGS. THE RISING COST OF GAS AND FOOD. >> THE BUDGET'S JUST AREN'T STRETCHING AS FAR AS THEY USED TO THE FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA SERVES 34 COUNTIES IN THE STATE. >> ORGANIZERS AIM TO HELP THE ONE IN 7 ADULTS ARE ROUGHLY 580,000 PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE FOOD, INSECURITY IN THE AREA AND THE 321,000 CHILDREN WHO RELY ON FREE OR REDUCED SCHOOL MEALS FACTOR IN CHILDREN BEING OUT OF SCHOOL FOR SUMMER AND INFLATION. THE FOOD BANK HAS SEEN A 42% INCREASE SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC. AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE COMING TO GET FOOD. 42 1% IS A LOT OF PEOPLE. ECONOMISTS, HENRY MCCOY SAYS IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA FOR FAMILIES TO SEEK OUT HELP GIVEN THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUPPORT SYSTEM LIKE THE FOOD BANKS LIKE YOU, CHURCHES. >> THINGS OF THAT BUT ALSO YEAR ME WHERE YOU CAN COULD COULD. >> NOW THE FOOD BANK HAS A STOP SUMMER HUNGER INITIATIVE THAT KICKS OFF TOMORROW. AND THAT RUNS UNTIL JULY 31ST. THEIR GOAL IS TO DISTRIBUTE

Rising cost of living causing more people to seek help from food banks 

One local fire department flew 20 hours in three days to help people in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida.

Wake Forest fire department answers the call 700 miles away to help feed Hurricane Ida victims

Wake Forest firefighters fly to Louisiana to help after Ida's destruction

The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation has donated nearly $400,000 to local hunger relief organizations with their Spring 2021 grants. 