FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- In the last few days, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle has created a more structured plan to serve partners in our seven-county service area. In partnership with multiple community partners, government agencies, and faith-based organizations, the phrase “it takes a village” truly came to life. Following is the status of our current operations, county by county.
Wake County
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is working in cooperation with Wake County Public Schools to identify and serve vulnerable populations. On Friday, March 20, we will provide 500 emergency meals to families with children in some of the highest poverty communities in the county.
Additionally, we will provide 300 bags containing multiple days of various nutrient-rich, kid-friendly, blast-frozen meals to families in critical need in Wake County. These meals have been prepared by the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle culinary team, assisted by students in the Culinary Apprenticeship Program and satisfy USDA specific nutrition standards for children.
Another approximate 500 emergency meal boxes will be delivered on Friday to S.E. Raleigh Promise, a community development project, for distribution to families in need in their service area surrounding the Rock Quarry Road Corridor.
Durham County
To assist families in Durham County, the Food Shuttle will provide 250 family-style meal boxes to the community served by the East Durham Children’s Initiative. These boxes will contain blast-frozen casseroles, Brunswick stew meal kits and assortments of shelf-stable food items. “Wow, Amazing. Our families are going to be over the moon excited,” exclaimed Collin McColskey-Leary, Director of Partner Engagement for EDCI about the expected delivery.
Johnston County
In Johnston County, the Food Shuttle has connected a local church with a meal ministry to distribute food to those in need. The Temple Table Feeding Ministry in Raleigh of Temple Baptist Church has joined up with Princeton Church of God in Johnston County to provide 500 bagged lunches to feed children affected by school closures on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
In addition, we are still stocking and serving families through our School Pantries located in Johnston County. We delivered over 900 pounds of food to West Johnston High School Pantry this week and will do so again next.
Orange, Nash, Chatham, and Edgecombe Counties
The BackPack Buddies program which provides 6 meals and 2 snacks to children who normally get the bulk of their nutrition through free and reduced-price school meals, are still being delivered to schools in districts outside of Wake County. That includes Durham, Orange, Chatham, and Nash counties.
Community Response
We continue to rely on our community in the form of volunteers, food donations, and funding. Interim CEO/President Bethann James commented on the response: “I am blown away by the new and unique ways people are thinking about how to partner with us. From the third-party fundraisers to in-kind support from groups like the NC Museum of Art, PNC Arena and so many others. Thank you to our community for thinking about not only the people we serve, but also the health of our staff working hard during this time.”
Community members who are interested in volunteering in any of our programs or as an On-Call volunteer are invited to visit our website, www.foodshuttle.org/volunteer. For information on our most-needed food donation items or on holding a virtual food drive, go to www.foodshuttle.org/donate-food. And to make a monetary donation, which will enable us to seek alternative ways to get food to those who need it, please go www.foodshuttle.org/donate. We invite everyone to follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/foodshuttle where we post our up-to-date needs and opportunities.