The United Way of Wayne County’s annual Fill the Theatre Food Drive is returning to the Paramount Theatre.

The annual food drive is being held Mar. 27-28 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The food drive is the agency’s attempt to address food insecurity in Wayne County, a critical issue the community faces.

The unrelenting inflated cost of food and shelter continues to drive the need for food assistance.

Established food pantries and small nonprofits that provide food packages try to meet the demand that grows with the housing affordability issue faced by many.

“The picture of who needs food assistance has changed, and we know that there are employed and income-constrained individuals turning to pantries to support their households,” said Sherry Archibald, Executive Director of United Way of Wayne County. “The need is great, and we want to support as many organizations as possible to help those households.”

 Individuals, businesses, and civic groups can bring in their donations to Paramount Theatre during the two-day event. Anyone interested in bringing in their donations prior to the event dates can drop them off at these locations: Crawford Henderson Insurance, Goldsboro Builders Supply,  McLamb Wellness and Aesthetics, NC Community Credit Union, Southern Bank-Ash Street branch, TA Loving and Wayne County Courthouse atrium.

United Way of Wayne County hopes to fill all 500 seats of the Paramount Theatre with donations. Donors pledge their support by reserving seats to fill and can request to reserve one or several seats in the name of the entity they represent.

This year, an option to donate monetarily is available. Items requested are non-perishable canned food items, paper products, toiletries, and baby items like diapers and formulas.

A complete list of needs and the drop-off locations with days and times can be found at the agency’s website: unitedwayne.org/fillthetheatre.

Volunteers are also needed to help receive donations during the two-day event. Interested parties may register to volunteer by going to the website listed above or contacting Pilar Parks at (919) 735-3591 or [email protected]