CHAPEL HILL - Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service to support the Food Pantry and Community Kitchen.

More and more Carrboro and Chapel Hill households now depend on food and other safety net services at the IFC to keep pace with their basic needs. Some 2,777 households are active food pantry members.

The IFC provides shelter, food, direct services, advocacy and information to people in need. Last year, the IFC's Community Kitchen served 91,899 meals, thanks to more than 500 volunteers and $567,015 worth of food contributed by businesses and individuals, while the IFC's Food Pantry distributed 14,201 bags of groceries and 761 holiday meals.

A total of 46 organizations throughout North and South Carolina will receive grant awards from the Sisters of Mercy of North Carolina totaling $2.02 million.