Leaders from Cape Fear Community College and two local nonprofits addressed Pender County commissioners Dec. 1 with updates on enrollment growth, educational programs, workforce training and community services.

President Kiefer Morton said the college is seeing strong double-digit growth in curriculum and dual-enrollment students and reported that Pender County residents account for roughly 6,100 students served across the system. Morton told the board the state legislature provided $4,000,000 to double the size of the Surf City campus, which the college expects to open in January 2026 with expanded workforce-lab spaces, a biology lab, and a dedicated veterans’ room.

Kim Gore, chief operations officer at Wilmington Area Rebuilding Ministries (WARM NC), described nearly three decades of disaster-resilience and home-repair work in coastal counties and said WARM has completed 2,622 home repairs to date, supports veterans and people with disabilities, and depends heavily on volunteers. Gore appealed for local volunteer participation and highlighted the Healthy Opportunities pilot program that previously supported many clients; she said that program is "on life support" pending action by the General Assembly.

Dawn Ellis of Share the Table described county grant funding used to expand a client-choice food pantry, a backpack program for schools, and community meals; Ellis said the organization’s service levels are up 34% and highlighted volunteer capacity as essential to program impact.

Commissioners thanked presenters and discussed potential county support for specific capital and workforce needs. No formal board action was required for these presentations.