Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is excited to celebrate our 35th anniversary with the community we so deeply care about this year, with gratitude for the support and engagement that has only grown since our 1989 founding.
Our senior neighbors facing food insecurity are receiving essential nutrition, thanks to the generous support from Searstone / Lutheran Services Carolinas. This funding arrives at a pivotal moment as our Grocery Bags for Seniors (GBS) program contends with unprecedented food inflation and a rapidly expanding population.
CAP is a transformative program that equips individuals who are unemployed or underemployed with valuable culinary skills and work experience. Over 12 weeks, students participate in 25-30 hours of hands-on training each week in a real commercial kitchen. We are excited to celebrate our most recent graduates!
At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, our mission is clear: to feed, teach, and grow. We are dedicated to nourishing our community and fostering a future where hunger is no longer a barrier. Through a network of mobile markets and food pantries across central North Carolina, we provide essential food resources and support available to everyone.
At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, we believe in more than just feeding our neighbors. We strive to teach self-sufficiency, grow healthy foods, and cultivate innovative approaches to end hunger in our communities. None of this would be possible without the dedication and passion of our incredible volunteers. Today, we want to express our deepest gratitude to each and every volunteer who has lent a helping hand, a smile, and valuable time to our mission.
As the cost of living continues to soar, families across Wake County are facing heightened struggles to keep food on the table. The recent decision by the Wake County Public School System to increase meal prices by 25 cents may seem like a small amount, but it represents a significant burden for many households already grappling with food insecurity.
We are pleased to recognize our generous supporters at The Leon Levine Foundation, who recently provided a multi-year gift in support of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Gifts like this are vital in furthering our mission to eliminate hunger and create a healthy and hunger-free community.
Wake County Public Schools increased all meal prices by 25 cents at a board meeting May 21. As summer approaches, the Food Shuttle calls upon the community to unite in ensuring that no child goes hungry, especially in light of the recent school meal price increase.
Through community collaboration and shared dedication, the SFSP exemplifies the power of collective action in addressing hunger. As summer approaches, let's unite to ensure that no child goes hungry in our community.
The draft Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024 (House Farm Bill) released on Friday by House Agriculture Committee Chair G.T. Thompson (R-PA) would slash future benefit adjustments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by nearly $30 billion over the next decade. These cuts would drastically reduce vital food assistance for millions of Americans, including many in our local community who rely on SNAP to put food on the table.
Every year, Feeding America estimates the annual food budget shortfall carried by people facing food insecurity – the gap between the money people facing hunger need to buy enough food and what they have. The Map the Meal Gap study shows a sharp rise in that budget shortfall in North Carolina, from $725 million in 2019 to over a billion in 2022: that 2022 figure is $1,099,431,000.
In 1989, Jill Staton Bullard and Maxine Solomon, launched their mission to combat hunger in North Carolina. They began rescuing surplus food and distributing it to those in need and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle was born. Decades later, their legacy continues to Grow Goodness as we reach thousands of individuals with vital nourishment every week. We are also tackling the root causes of food insecurity through innovative programs that empower people to build stable and secure lives, and by advocating for policies that eliminate systemic barriers.
At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, we believe in the power of community collaboration to combat hunger and nourish our neighbors in need. We are excited to shine a spotlight on Junior League of Raleigh, a beacon of generosity and compassion in our mission for a hunger-free community.
In February 2023, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle received a generous $800,000 Retail Agency Capacity Building Grant from the Walmart Foundation, in collaboration with Feeding America. Now, just one year later, this grant is enabling the Food Shuttle to provide its agency partners with essential refrigerated trucks, allowing them to better serve communities facing food insecurity.
In the world of retail there's an aspect that may be relatively unknown to the everyday person: the vital role that retail donors play in fighting food insecurity. Whether a local grocery store or a national chain, these companies are significant to our mission by donating surplus food and helping our immediate communities.
Are you ready to embark on a journey of discovery and learning? Look no further than the Food Shuttle Academy, brought to you by Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. This online platform, available at no cost, is designed to ignite your curiosity and empower you with knowledge about health, nutrition, agriculture, and more, all at your own pace!
As we reflect on our partnership with North Raleigh UMC, we're filled with appreciation for the opportunities it will provide to serve more neighbors. Together, we will persist in “Growing Goodness,” nurturing a future where every individual is nourished and supported.
Representative Julie von Haefen, Representative Maria Cervania and Representative Sarah Crawford joined our president and CEO along with a few members of our team, and the talk turned to food insecurity in our state.
Our Geer Street Learning Garden is a flourishing urban green space located between one of the most vulnerable census tracts and one of the most prosperous business districts in Durham. Geer Street is committed to building resilient community connections and engaging people of all ages in the powerful act of growing local food.
At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, we pride ourselves on developing innovative and sustainable solutions to end hunger in our community. Through collaboration with community members, we can leverage resources, expertise, and outreach to co-create solutions to better serve our neighbors facing hunger and food insecurity.
In 1989, with a vision to ease the crisis of hunger in North Carolina in a simple but effective way, Jill Staton Bullard and Maxine Solomon began “rescuing” food that would’ve gone to waste and getting it to neighbors in need. In the years since, generous friends have been Growing Goodness by supporting hunger relief efforts across the Food Shuttle’s seven- county service area.
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle joined nearly 200 food banks from across the nation for a fly-in to Washington, D.C., where we asked lawmakers representing our service area to strengthen vital anti-hunger programs in the federal “Farm Bill.” The fly-in was organized by the Feeding America national network of food banks, of which the Food Shuttle is a member.
April is probably best known for giving us the first signs of spring, pranking our family on April Fool’s Day, and honoring our planet during Earth and Arbor Days, but did you know that April is also Global Volunteer Month? This movement encourages a spirit of giving back to the community, where neighbors come together to make a difference by contributing their time, skills, and passion towards various causes. At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, we are gearing up to celebrate the power of volunteerism next month and hope you’ll join us!
Beckford’s spirit remains very much with us at the Food Shuttle today as we celebrate Black History Month and continue to make child hunger a high priority in our work. Join us in giving a nod to Ruth Beckford for her leadership in recognizing that no child should have to deal with hunger as they strive to learn and grow.