Welcome to the heart of community generosity: the Castle of Cans! This inspiring initiative transforms donations into hope, bringing together neighbors, schools, and local partners for a common cause. Every can stacked here is more than just a building block—it’s a symbol of unity, compassion, and the determination to make a difference.

Castle of Cans was created by the Hickory Oktoberfest committee in conjunction with Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to support our Catawba pantries and soup kitchens to help feed our community. It is named after Susan Coleman, a longtime and first food drive coordinator. Each year local schools and businesses compete to see who can bring in the most food and fund donations.

The Castle is built from cans donated by Food Lion and from our local schools to shine a light on food insecurity in our area. Every can you see here will go directly to our Catawba community to feed a family in need.

Catawba County has a population of 157,959. There are 20,605 individuals, 6,481 children and 2,347 seniors that are living at or below the poverty level. With initiatives like Castle of Cans, Second Harvest can provide shelf-stable, nutritious items that can go directly to families in need. For many households, this means one less worry about where their next meal will come from.

In 2023-2024, the Food Bank distributed almost 4 million pounds to agencies in Catawba County. The Food Bank supports 32 programs in Catawba County. The agencies that benefit from this campaign are: The Corner Table of Newton, Eastern Catawba County Cooperative Christian Ministries, Exodus Homes, The Family Care Center, Greater Hicory Cooperative Christian Ministries, The Hickory Soup Kitchen, The Salvation Army and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.

We are grateful for your support to help end hunger in our community!