As children head back to the school, many things are different this year. As the coronavirus continues to have an impact on our communities, most districts are opting for virtual learning—keeping children out of the classroom and at home where they have a greater chance of staying safe from the virus. But one thing hasn’t changed: children need nutritious food to grow, thrive, and learn. Whether they are learning in the school room or at home, food is the most important school supply. That’s why CBS 17 teamed up with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle for a week of reports on the organization’s efforts to address child hunger as a new school year begins in the age of COVID-19.
The week began with a look at the numbers: one in five children in North Carolina struggles with hunger. The projected average food insecurity rate for children in the Food Shuttle’s seven-county service area has risen from 18.2% in 2018 to 26.9%. President and CEO Ron Pringle talked about child hunger in our community and how the Food Shuttle is adapting to meet the need as the pandemic continues to impact families. The Food Shuttle’s Business Development Manager, Kara Guido discussed the restaurant partnership—one of the innovative ways that the Food Shuttle developed to get food those who need it most, while helping to keep local businesses afloat during the economic downturn.
On Tuesday, PORCH Durham Executive Director Laura Meyers explored the successful relationship between her organization and the Food Shuttle and how they have worked together to ensure that children in Durham county schools get the food they need—pandemic, notwithstanding.
Reporter Holden Kurwicki visited the Community Helpers Mobile Market in Knightdale on Wednesday and got a first-hand look at how this direct distribution of non-perishable foods and fresh produce can impact the lives the families it serves, children included.
On Thursday, the partnership between the Food Shuttle and the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation was the focus, featuring the three-year, $150,000 grant from the Foundation and its support of child hunger programming in rural counties.
President and CEO Ron Pringle returned on Friday to wrap up the series, with an emphasis on how it takes “communities helping communities” to ensure that children receive the nutritious food they need on an ongoing, consistent basis. Those communities include the Food Shuttle, supporting organizations, donors, and volunteers.
This is the second year for the child hunger series to run on CBS 17 as the school year got underway. The Nexstar station has established a strong relationship with the Food Shuttle and has featured stories on the organization numerous times throughout the year. “When a local frontline service organization like Inter-Faith Food Shuttle continues to rise to the challenges facing our community, the community needs to know. We at CBS 17 show community support in many ways but the most important way is providing information that will help our community be better. Our series of reports highlighting the work of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle during this critical back-to-school time is a perfect example of our mission to report ‘local news that matters’,” said Ed Trauschke, CBS 17 News Director about the impetus behind the series.
To donate to the Food Shuttle’s Back to School efforts, click here. To learn more about the Food Shuttle’s hunger relief efforts, click here.