Brunswick Family Assistance

What Brunswick Family Assistance does

Brunswick Family Assistance (BFA) is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in 1981 as Brunswick County Volunteer and Information Center and rebranded to its current name in 1996, headquartered in Bolivia, North Carolina and serving low-income residents of Brunswick County. The organization provides emergency assistance across five core service lines: an Emergency Food Pantry with both a fixed Bolivia location and a mobile satellite network of 8+ locations (Leland, Southport, Ash, Holden Beach, Calabash, Shallotte); Emergency Utility Assistance to prevent disconnection; Emergency Rental Assistance (available once per 12 months for lease-holders); Emergency Prescription Assistance for life-sustaining medications (quarterly); and seasonal programming including Fill The Sleigh (Christmas gifts), Christmas in July (back-to-school supplies), and Summer Food bags for school-aged children. Service delivery is free to eligible clients at or below 130% of the poverty line, with no appointment required for food pantry visits.

BFA generates revenue through a diversified mix of individual donations, corporate and in-kind contributions, foundation grants (Brunswick Community Foundation, Golden Leaf Foundation, Food Lion Foundation, Corning), recurring Cape Fear Area United Way agency funding, federal/state allocations through FEMA/EFSP and TEFAP (NCDA commodities), and community fundraising events such as the Golf Fore Groceries tournament and Wine Dinner. The organization also operates a gleaning program that rescues food from local retailers and a partnership with Birthday Wishes Ministry (initiated July 2023) for children's birthday gifts. In 2023, BFA reported distributing 386,950.87 lbs of food and serving 11,800 households (37,177 individuals) — approximately 36% of Brunswick County residents. The 11–50 person staff is supported by a 14-member Board of Directors chaired by Gregory Dagoumas, with Kyle Abrams serving as Executive Director. Notable recent credentials include the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2024).

Name

Brunswick Family Assistance

Legal name

Brunswick Family Assistance Agency, Inc.

Website

https://brunswickfamily.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brunswick Family Assistance is a North Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that provides emergency food, utility, rental, and prescription assistance plus seasonal programs to low-income Brunswick County residents, serving approximately 36% of the county in 2023 through a main Bolivia office and 8+ mobile pantry locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Emergency Assistance

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Emergency food assistance
• Utility bill assistance
• Rental assistance
• Prescription assistance
• Mobile food pantry

Headquarters

HQ city

Shallotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations, corporate donations, and in-kind contributions from community members
2. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations such as Brunswick Community Foundation, Golden Leaf Foundation, Food Lion Foundation, and government emergency food programs including TEFAP and FEMA/EFSP
3. Fundraising Events: Annual Golf Tournament 'Golf Fore Groceries' ($125/ticket), Wine Dinner events ($60/person), and other community fundraisers
4. United Way Partnership: BFA is a Cape Fear Area United Way agency receiving designated funding

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Brunswick Family Assistance is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) that provides free emergency assistance to low-income residents of Brunswick County, North Carolina. Core offerings include an Emergency Food Pantry with mobile satellite locations, emergency utility and rental assistance, prescription assistance for life-sustaining medications, and seasonal programs (Fill The Sleigh Christmas gifts, Christmas in July back-to-school supplies, Summer Food bags). Services are delivered free of charge to eligible clients living at or below 130% of the poverty line.

Product overview

Brunswick Family Assistance operates as a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization offering a coordinated portfolio of emergency assistance programs for low-income residents of Brunswick County, North Carolina. The core service delivery includes an Emergency Food Pantry with mobile satellite locations throughout the county, utility and rental assistance programs, prescription assistance for life-sustaining medications, and seasonal holiday programs including Fill The Sleigh (Christmas gifts), Christmas in July (back-to-school supplies), and Summer Food bags. BFA also partners with Birthday Wishes Ministry for children's birthday gifts. The organization operates a gleaning program to rescue food donations from local retailers and distributes food through a network of mobile pantry locations serving clients with limited transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Food Pantry Emergency food distribution service providing eligible low-income clients with food once monthly, including non-perishables and available meat donations, through the main Bolivia office. No appointment required. Food pantry is available up to 12 times per year with at least 30 days between visits.
• Mobile Food Pantry Satellite food distribution program operating at 8+ locations across Brunswick County, including Leland Community Park, Trinity United Methodist Church (Southport), Waccamaw School (Ash), Calabash Elks Lodge, Sharon UMC (Holden Beach), and Shallotte Treatment Center, serving clients with limited transportation. Hours 9:30-11:30am.
• Emergency Utility Assistance Financial assistance for final notice utility bills and Power Stat (BEMC) accounts with low balances, helping eligible low-income clients avoid disconnection from essential utility services.
• Emergency Rental Assistance Emergency rent assistance for eligible clients facing housing crisis, available once every 12 months for renters with signed lease agreements.
• Emergency Prescription Assistance Financial assistance for life-sustaining medications only, provided once per quarter for eligible prescription medications with pharmacy price documentation.
• Fill The Sleigh Christmas Program Annual Christmas gift distribution program providing age-appropriate toys and gifts for children ages 1-16 and seniors 60+, designed to bring holiday joy to families in need.
• Christmas in July (Back-to-School Assistance) Back-to-school assistance program providing bookbags, school supplies, outfits, and shoes for children in kindergarten through 8th grade.
• Summer Food Program Weekly food bag distribution during summer months containing breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks for school-aged children to combat food insecurity when school meals are unavailable.
• Gleaning Program Food rescue operation collecting donated food and items from local retailers and supermarkets, with volunteers picking up donations and unloading at the BFA office.

Quantifiable outcome

• 386,950.87 lbs of food distributed in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• Cape Fear Area United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBFA is a Cape Fear Area United Way designated agency receiving ongoing funding support
• Birthday Wishes MinistrystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration started July 2023 to provide birthday gifts to children ages 1-17 from low-income families. BFA staff distributes gift vouchers; BWM volunteers deliver wrapped gifts monthly at Bolivia office.
• AmazonsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Wish List for food pantry items allowing direct donations of needed supplies
• WalmartsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWalmart in Shallotte and Southport assisted with bike assembly for Christmas program and store donations

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America (national network): National hunger-relief organization supporting a network of 200+ food banks including North Carolina affiliates. Comparable as the umbrella entity that channels TEFAP commodities and federal food to regional/local partners like BFA, but operates at national scale and coordinates rather than directly distributes in a single county.
• Catholic Charities Diocese of Raleigh: Faith-based social services organization providing emergency assistance (food, rent, utilities) across NC. Comparable as a multi-program emergency assistance nonprofit with overlapping service lines to BFA (utility/rental assistance, food) but broader geographic and programmatic scope.
• The Salvation Army of Eastern North Carolina: National faith-based nonprofit providing emergency food, rent, and utility assistance. Comparable service portfolio to BFA but operating at much greater scale and with broader geographic coverage; competes for similar donor and volunteer pools.

Emerging players

• United Way of the Cape Fear Area: Regional United Way chapter that funnels designated giving to partner agencies including BFA itself. Comparable as a funding intermediary and convener in the same Brunswick County/Wilmington-area philanthropic ecosystem, though it operates through partner agencies rather than direct service delivery.

Direct peers

• Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: Regional food bank serving 34 counties in NC including adjacent counties to Brunswick. Directly comparable as a hunger-relief nonprofit distributing millions of pounds of food annually through partner agencies, mirroring BFA's core mission with broader geographic reach.
• MANNA FoodBank: Western NC food bank distributing food across 16 counties through partner agencies and direct programs. Comparable as a regional food distribution nonprofit relying on donations, grants, and federal commodities — same operational model as BFA but at a larger geographic scale.

Regional players

• Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire (NC affiliate): Nonprofit social enterprise providing workforce development and basic-needs support across the Carolinas. Partial overlap with BFA's mission around family stability and self-sufficiency, but primarily focused on employment services rather than emergency food/utility aid.
• Meals on Wheels of Brunswick County: Local Meals on Wheels affiliate serving the same Brunswick County geography as BFA with senior nutrition programs. Comparable as a county-specific direct-service nonprofit addressing food insecurity, but narrower focus on homebound seniors versus BFA's broader emergency assistance model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BrunswickFamilyAssistance-1981
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrunswickFamilyAssistance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brunswick-family-assistance
• Instagraminstagram.com/brunswickfamilyassistance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brunswick Family Assistance