When August arrives, that means back-to-school cannot be far behind. At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, that means it’s time for our annual Back-to-School week on CBS 17’s “My Carolina.” This year featured a week of segments spotlighting Food Shuttle programs dedicated to combatting child hunger in our community.
The week began with a look at the Food Shuttle’s BackPack Buddies initiative. Child Hunger Programs Coordinator Erica Estep spoke with “My Carolina” host Amber Freeman about the ways that BackPack Buddies tackles child hunger by providing nutritious, kid-friendly weekend meals when kids don’t have access to school breakfasts and lunches. Oak Grove Elementary School Counselors Jennifer Schira and Jennifer Michot discussed the impact of the program on their own school community.
On Tuesday, the focus turned to School Pantries. Erica Estep returned to talk with “My Carolina” host Carly Bragg about the success of this program in addressing the nutritional needs of school families by providing access to non-perishable food items and other staples in a safe, convenient manner.
Thursday, Food Shuttle Director of Community Health and Nutrition, Kylee McCombs, spoke with Carly Bragg about the “Cooking Matters” program that teaches families and children about nutrition and how to prepare healthy meals on a budget. The “My Carolina” team also paid a visit to the Advantageous Camp to see a “Cooking Matters” class in action.
On Friday, Jason Beyer, Vice President – Business Unit Leader, Neonatology/CF at Chiesi USA, joined Amber Freeman to discuss Chiesi’s continuing support of the Food Shuttle’s child hunger programs, as well as this year’s $25,000 Back-to-School Match Challenge. All donations made to the Food Shuttle will be matched, up to $25,000, through August 31. Gifts can be made at www.FoodShuttle.org/BacktoSchool.
The Food Shuttle’s Growing School Gardens program was featured the following week. Danielle Lynch, Environmental Connections Integration Specialist at Millbrook Environmental Connections Magnet Elementary School, and Jonathan Lee, the Food Shuttle’s Vice President of Agricultural Programs, joined Carly Bragg at the Millbrook school garden to talk about the agriculture education program’s impact on the school community.
The Food Shuttle is grateful for the support of CBS 17 in spotlighting these programs and showcasing our partners who bring them to the communities they serve. “My Carolina” airs weekdays at 9 a.m. on WNCN-TV.