All Things Leland

For 40 years the Sister Isaac Center has been serving residents across the region. In 1983, Sister Isaac Koenig, a Catholic nun of the Society of St. Ursula, came to Wilmington to serve at St. Mary parish and began assessing the social needs of the local community. She immediately saw that there was a food desert in the area, and those with limited means found it especially difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. What began as a simple food pantry stocked by parishioner donations quickly sparked neighborhood interest, and soon members of the larger community were spontaneously bringing food and clothing.

First named the Tileston Center — after the building in which it is housed — at her retirement in 2016, it was renamed The Sister Isaac Center.The Center now serves more than 10,000 residents on an annual basis.

You can learn more about the Sister Isaac Center by visiting their website: https://www.thesisterisaaccenter.org/

It is no secret that electricity rates are increasing in North Carolina. This past November Duke Energy has requested a rate increase of more than 13%. Both the Governor and Attorney General have expressed their opposition to the rate proposal.

To help consumers, in January 2025 the Governor launched Energy Saver NC, an initiative to promote energy efficiency that provides rebates to households that install energy-efficient appliances, improve home insulation, or upgrade electrical systems.

North Carolina has recently announced that it has expanded is Energy Saver program to qualified homeowners or renters in Brunswick County and throughout the State. A program for multi-family residential buildings will roll out later this year.

We were pleased to speak with Francisco Martinez-Marquez, an Environmental Program Consultant with the NC Department of Environmental Quality about the program.

More on the energy saver program can be found here: https://energysavernc.org/ or by calling 866-998-8555.

We were pleased to have a conversation with Dr. Mouhcine Guettabi, Regional Economist, at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington regarding the economic profile he has authored for Brunswick County. We previously interviewed Dr. Guettabi in November.

In the report Dr. Guettabi points out the County has demonstrated strong economic performance from Q2 2024 to Q2 2025 with employment growth of 3.76%, wage growth of 5.14% and establishment growth of 7.53%. All these important metrics exceed the statewide average.

Cape Fear River Watch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was founded in 1993. Founders Bouty Baldridge and Bruce Watkins envisioned a permanent nonprofit organization, open to everyone, and dedicated to the improvement and preservation of the health, beauty, cleanliness, and heritage of the Cape Fear River basin.

According to the University of North Carolina, 1.5 million residents depend on the river for their drinking water supply. The Cape Fear River encompasses 9,164 square miles making it the largest river basin contained entirely within North Carolina.

The mission of the River Watch is to protect and improve the water quality of the Cape Fear River Basin for all people through education, advocacy and action. Working with partners, they have a history of proven success in protecting the watershed.

We were pleased to have a conversation with Morgan Hooks, Outreach and Engagement Manager for Cape Fear River Watch, about the important work they do.

Three hundred years ago in 1726 Maurice Moore, the son of a former South Carolina governor, founded this port town. North Carolina was a colony of England, and the town was named Brunswick to honor George I, the king of England, who was also duke of Brunswick in what is now Germany.

A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina's Cape Fear River, Brunswick was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Ft. Anderson was constructed atop the old town site.

We are pleased to have a conversation with Jim McKee who serves as Site Manager of the property who will share in more detail its history and the various events held on the property.

27% of Brunswick County's children live in food insecure households. Pleased to share our All Things Leland interview with the Pastor of the The Bridge Presbyterian Church on what they are doing in partnership with our local schools and other organization to make a difference. Learn about how you can help: www.allthingsleland.com.