FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan 20, 2011—RALEIGH, NC
"We celebrate today's announcement and the First Lady's commitment, " said Jill Staton Bullard, co-founder and executive director of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. "We have been providing healthy food for people who don't have access for 21 years and celebrate our partners in their efforts. " The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (IFFS) has been increasing access to healthy, fresh produce for low-income community members for 21 years. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle pioneers innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in our community. IFFS has partnered with Share Our Strength to run Cooking Matters classes in the Triangle since 2008.
In 2010, Walmart donated a truck to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and awarded Share Our Strength a $1.5 million grant to fund the expansion of the "Cooking Matters" program and launch of the "Shopping Matters" nutrition education programs. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is Share Our Strengths' North Carolina Presenting Partner for "Cooking Matters" and "Shopping Matters". Cooking Matters allows Inter-Faith Food Shuttle to provide a long-term solution to hunger by empowering participants to make educated choices about how to grow, cook, and eat the best food possible. Our goal is to give people the confidence and ability to be more self-sufficient and improve their eating habits and food budgeting skills. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle's 2010 Impact
- Rescued more than 6.5 million pounds of food (8% increase over last year) from more than 300 donors using a fleet of 13 refrigerated vehicles
- Delivered food to 212 programs & agencies in 7 counties
- Distributed 30,610 backpacks filled with 183,660 nutritious weekend meals to children at 31 sites
- Provided 21,449 grocery bags (more than 425 per week) to low-income seniors and families
- Graduated 25 life-challenged adults from our Culinary Job Training Program
- Produced more than 15,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce on our local Raleigh farm
- Expanded our community gardens into 4 communities and 1 school engaging 1,374 participants and 320 volunteers
- Held 39 six-week nutrition education classes with 357 participants, using Cooking Matters from Share Our Strength
- Utilized 43, 383 volunteer hours (worth $904,535.55) to benefit our community
Specifically, IFFS' Cooking Matters:
- Served 365 families
- Ran 39 Cooking Matters classes with adults, teens, children.
- Prepared over 450 healthy recipes with participants.
- Engaged 144 professional volunteer instructors who gave over 500 volunteer hours.
About Inter-Faith Food Shuttle
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle pioneers innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in our community.