NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. -- New Hanover County is home to six food deserts, affecting 16,000 Wilmington residents, according to county records.

• The Blue Ribbon Commission and New Hanover County Regional Medical Center teamed up to gather residents' needs.
• Concerns with access to grocery stores
• The Foxes Boxes help to provide food
• Solutions meeting at The Foxes Boxes on Monday, April 30

To address that need and other needs, The Blue Ribbon Commission and New Hanover County Regional Medical Center are teaming up. 

Groups went door to door on the northside of town to gather residents' needs. 

One of the biggest concerns was having easier access to grocery stores. 

"On my way to work the other day, I drove at least six minutes, seven minutes up the road just to get some watermelon. I passed no stores! No stores and I live right over here," said Wilmington resident Jakeema Boykin.

"The Foxes Boxes" restaurant is also working with the two teams and says some residents reach out to them because they are unable to get to the nearest store.

"They call us [saying], 'We need some broccoli tonight' or 'We need potatoes tonight' because they couldn't get to the grocery store," said The Foxes Boxes owner Rachel Bodkin-Fox.

The group will host a meeting at The Foxes Boxes on Monday, April 30 to look for long term solutions.