FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Apr 07, 2011—RALEIGH, NC
The North Carolina Association of Feeding America Food Banks and the North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC) have joined to launch an Internet-based campaign to combat childhood hunger in the state.
The effort is called The Food Effect. It is being driven by an online network designed to unite people in the fight against childhood hunger and the negative impact it can have on childhood development.
Introduced in early April, The Food Effect website (TheFoodEffect.org) is enabling people to give money or time to the food bank in their area via one of N. C.'s seven regional food bank organizations, and to create discussion of the hunger issue within their social networks.
The campaign is in reaction to the fact that North Carolina continues to struggle with high levels of unemployment and is among the nation's worst states in the number of citizens in need of food. This holds true even more for North Carolina's children. According to a Feeding America study, North Carolina is tied with Louisiana for the highest percentage of hungry children one in four under age five.
Alan Briggs, executive director of the N. C. Association of Feeding America Food Banks, said, "We have been fortunate to be generously supported in North Carolina. However, the hunger problem is growing exponentially in a time when resources are under great strain."
Jill Staton Bullard, the co-founder and executive director of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, commented, "All of us here at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle are excited about this statewide partnership and look forward to a sustained fundraising success that will help support our innovative solutions to create a hunger-free community."
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle pioneers innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in our community. These solutions focus on addressing the two major factors that create food hardship: Lack of Income and Lack of Access to nutritious food with a specific focus on addressing nutrition and health by delivering appropriate foods such as fresh local produce. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is one of North Carolina's seven regional food bank organizations.
Bullard added, "The Food Effect will help increase awareness, solicit support, and acquire the food and funds necessary to help the more than 249,200 people experiencing food hardship in the greater Triangle".
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle has served the Greater Triangle area since 1989, working to alleviate the ever- growing problem of hunger. IFFS actively serves children, adults, families and the elderly through proactive hunger relief programs including local fresh food recovery, job training programs in both culinary and farm skills, nutrition education through Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters classes, and by helping to grow the Community Garden movement.
Deborah Johnson, chief executive officer of the NCPC, commented, "Our industry is in a unique position to help the food banks drive this campaign. We are also proud to be associated with the Feeding America food banks and commend them on their invaluable work over the years."
During 2010, North Carolina's Feeding America food banks distributed more than 100 million pounds of nutritious food and other grocery products to more than 1,434,000 different North Carolinians.
The campaign's kickoff was announced on April 7 at a joint press conference held by Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and N. C. House Speaker Thom Tillis.
Working as a statewide coalition, members of The Food Effect will attempt to communicate with anyone showing interest in the issue, including relevant organizations' memberships, church members, students, professionals, hourly workers, members of Congress, state legislators and the media.
For more information about the Food Effect, contact Melissa Hartzell at Inter-Faith Food Shuttle office (919) 250-0043, mobile (919) 414-2069 or email Melissa@foodshuttle.org.