Partner Spotlight: Cornbread & Roses

For Cornbread & Roses, a MANNA partner agency in Sylva, NC, the philosophy behind the name is simple: people deserve food, but they also deserve joy and dignity. CBR believes there should be “bread for all, and roses, too!”

When CBR was founded, they didn’t set out to create a food pantry. The nonprofit began as an affordable and inclusive counseling and therapy space, emphasizing access for LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent individuals in their corner of Western North Carolina. However, they found it difficult to improve mental health when clients were struggling to meet their basic needs for food and community.

Jackson County is one of the most food insecure counties in WNC, and the need has only grown. In just the past few months, alongside Hurricane Helene recovery and federal funding changes, CBR has seen food pantry visits nearly double to 400 families each week.

Cornbread & Roses says, “Mostly the folks we’ve been seeing are folks who have never had to necessarily reach out for resources before. It’s been really, really meaningful to make community connections and allow folks to just be themselves in this space and be heard.”

In addition to their pantry and therapy services, CBR offers community support services, game nights, a lending library, and affinity or hobby groups for people to build community.

CBR explains, “It is really important for us to be as low-barrier as possible here at CBR, so that those folks who are most marginalized aren’t continuing to fall through the cracks, whether that be at the pantry, in our clinical side, or in our communal spaces.”

If you would like to learn more about Cornbread & Roses, support their work, or volunteer at their food pantry, please visit their website.