Giles Shih still remembers the haunting statistic on hunger from 13 years ago that 1 in 5 children in our community goes to bed hungry. For Giles, that was a call to action and it’s what motivated him to make his first donation to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. He’s been a faithful supporter of the Food Shuttle ever since. Then last October, Giles signed up to be a sustaining monthly donor. With the understanding that such contributions provide reliable support for the Food Shuttle’s efforts to create a hunger free community, Giles became a Cultivator.
Giles grew up in the Raleigh area and his company, BioResource International (BRI), is local to the Triangle. The company, founded by his father, focuses on feed additives for poultry and swine, and is very much oriented toward helping and giving back. The Food Shuttle looked like a natural partner for this because it’s local, and is associated with food, so Giles decided to learn more about the organization. He started donating and became active in the annual Taste of Hope gala. Co-founder Jill Staton Bullard encouraged him to become involved with the board of directors, which he did to the extent his schedule allowed. BRI would hold an annual employee food drive around the holidays, which has evolved into a friendly competition among their 35 staff members. Last year, BRI employees donated an astounding 3,000 pounds of food for the Food Shuttle. The BRI crew has also stepped up as volunteers to pack BackPack Buddies, which Giles affirms as a “great team building” effort. All to say, Giles’ commitment to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle runs deep.
So, what compelled Giles Shih to come on board as a Cultivator sustaining monthly donor to the Food Shuttle? Giles says the impetus was the monthly child tax credit provided by the federal government. “We have plenty. We’re doing fine. We want to support an organization that could put this to good use where there’s a need. And there’s certainly enough need because of COVID. The Food Shuttle naturally came to mind, and I thought ‘How can I support this on a regular basis?’ So, every month we’re putting the money we get for the child tax credit toward the Food Shuttle.”
These days, the operation of the Food Shuttle Farm piques Giles’ interest, which only makes sense, considering his own work in the agricultural realm. He wants to take his older son, a sophomore in high school, to the Farm to help him understand where his food comes from and to better appreciate what it is to farm food. “There’s an opportunity here to teach people,” says Giles. “To help them think about fruits and vegetables and a healthier diet, and that’s very important to me and my family--how to have a healthy diet and how to grow food that’s sustainable. That’s why that program resonates with me.”
Giles goes back to the fact of 1 in 5 children facing hunger in our area. He applauds the work of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in working to overcome those numbers and provide healthy, nutritious food to children, families, and seniors while striving to eliminate the root causes of hunger in the first place. Through his financial support as a Cultivator, Giles is doing his part to create a hunger free community. You can, too.
You can join the Cultivators as a sustaining monthly donor for as little as $25 a month, and the Food Shuttle will send you an attractive, durable tote bag as a thank you gift. If you are already a sustaining contributor and would like to upgrade your monthly gift, click here. Either way, your support will make a world of difference to your neighbors served across central North Carolina. Cultivate more this year and help end hunger all year long.