MLK Day of Service Brings Out the Volunteer Spirit

Blustery winds did not deter the chickens and nor the children who mingled on the IFFS Teaching Farm bright and early Monday morning.  As part of the Martin Luther King, Jr.  Day of Service, parents and children from Follow the Child Montessori school came out to the farm to learn about the chickens and the goats, and, “to teach the kids how everything  in nature is so interconnected, ” as one mom, Amanda Dawson, put it. Amanda’s  daughter, first grader Morgan McMullin, was particularly enamored of the goats. IFFS staffer, Joshua Paxson, orchestrated the move of a portable goat pen by having each person pick up a part of the fence all at once and move it in unison.  Then came the “goat release”, where the goats were lured from one pen to another by following  a pail of food carried by one of the children.

Meanwhile, children lined up at Marbles Kids Museum to  learn about  “Helping Heroes”— people and organizations in our community who are here to serve others. Kids got the chance to be a “helping hero” themselves by packing bags full of healthy food  for the IFFS BackPack Buddies Program.  The Rex family—Mom Sara, Dad Ted, and children Harriet and Atticus—volunteered by greeting participants and guiding them along the rows of tables stocked with food to pack each backpack.

“ A lot of kids at  Harriet’s school  (Poe Elementary) receive Backpack Buddies  and I wanted her to see what goes into making those backpack meals. I want the kids to see that volunteering to help others is a healthy part of life.”

Kids and parents alike got to make their own contributions to hunger-relief in Durham, as well, donating food at the Children's Birthday Party for MLK thrown by NC Moms Rising at Northgate Mall, and helping PORCH-Durham unload and sort donated food at the IFFS Durham Service Center, also at Northgate Mall!

In the afternoon, volunteers from the NC Justice Center got their hands dirty helping us with all matters compost at our Hoke Street Training Center! Enjoying both the sunny weather and the opportunity to get involved in their community, they sifted and moved piles of compost to create nutrient-rich soil for growing nutrient-rich food, and they prepared beds that come Spring will be filled with beautiful flowers!

Our programs are powered by volunteers, on MLK Day and on every day of the year! Learn all the different ways to get involved here!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

“I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for the minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits.”  -  Martin Luther King Jr.

Backpacks, Marbles and MLK

We at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, as well as the members of Marbles Kid's Museum, feel that MLK Day is an important day of service and providing for our local community. So this past Monday,  Marbles Kid's Museum and the IFFS BackPack Buddies program teamed up for a special service event in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. We set up two long tables full of healthy and nutritious food items that we pack into our backpacks. We then let children and adults who were visiting the museum that day participate in service by packing the backpacks. These backpacks will now go to feed children on the weekend who are food insecure. It was a great way to take some of the great ideals that Dr. King preached about and put them into action.

This is the second year we held this event, and we plan do this again next year in case you missed out. Thanks to everybody who helped out and to Marbles for allowing us to do this at the Museum!

Reminder: We're still looking for more backpacks so we can reach even more food-insecure children this year! See our last post for more information.

Giving Back- guest post from Alvetia Anderson

"There are many reasons why people may need assistance at one time or another. In fact, most people would just like some assistance, not to be cared for. Helping during the MLK Day of Service this year lead me to remember a time when I too needed assistance. It has been almost eleven years since Hurricane Floyd destroyed parts of Eastern North Carolina. My daughter and I had only been in Rocky Mount for just over a month when it Floyd struck the area. The devastation left was quite remarkable. People would ask what we needed, but for some reason could not understand the one simple word I would say…. “Everything”.

I was a full-time student and single mother, dealing with a chronic illness and the word everything included simple everyday items, such as food. We received some assistance, but it was often a lengthy wait and many times not enough. After the hurricane, my daughter had to attend a new school, where she was identified as a child affected/displaced by the hurricane and made privy to an amazing ministry at her school. This school had its very own pantry, from which it helped its needy students. They blessed us with much needed food, during a time when I was not sure how we were going to eat for the next month.

Volunteering at the Food Shuttle's MLK Day of Service as I helped place food in those BackPacks, I was reminded of  a time I had forgotten from the Hurricane. Tears formed in my eyes, and my heart was lightened and enlightened. It was very rewarding to know that I was a part of something so grand."

Another video from MLK Day of Service!

MLK Day of Service 2010

Since we opened our Durham Service Center (DSC) in The Shops at Northgate in September '09, folks have embraced the Food Shuttle's expansion and commitment to serve the Durham community! We're thrilled to have support from the community as we fight hunger together in 2010 and the years to come. Monday was an incredible day at the Durham Service Center as we honored Martin Luther King, Jr. by making it a day on instead of a day off. We were thankful to have Triangle United Way present, and altogether about 70 volunteers were in and out of the DSC! The volunteers packed and delivered 400 grocery bags of fruit and veggies for seniors, and packed about 300 BackPack Buddies bags with food!

Not only that, but 10 food drives were held in the area for BackPack Buddies! Groups brought in bag after bag filled with nutritious food for kids in the BackPack Buddies program who are at risk of going hungry on weekends because they are on free or reduced lunches at school. A special thanks to Jon Parker who organized the food drives for the day! The food drive brought in 4,500 pounds of food!

We are so grateful for the volunteers who came out on MLK Day of Service! The energy in the building was thrilling and the volunteers were eager to join with the Food Shuttle to help folks who are hungry. Take a look at the video below for a quick recap on the day's activities.

Stay tuned on the Durham blog as we post more video content  from the event in the upcoming weeks! View all the photos from the event on our Facebook page.

MLK Day of Service in Durham

Yesterday was not only a wonderful day of service in Raleigh at the Food Shuttle, but it was an exciting day at our Durham Service Center, too! The 70+ volunteers were unbelievable yesterday helping pack 150 grocery bags for seniors, and another group of volunteers conducted 10 food drives across the Greater Triangle for BackPack Buddies! After the food from the drive came in, volunteers helped sort and pack about 300 BackPacks! 2010 is going to be an exciting year in Durham. Let Jerome know if you'd like to join the Food Shuttle in fighting hunger in Durham by sending him an email to DurhamCoord@foodshuttle.org Watch this video to get a glimpse of the excitement surrounding the day of service yesterday in Durham.

MLK Day of Service

Our friends from the Jewish Community Relations Council came out to pack and deliver grocery bags for seniors today in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  Here are a few pictures of them in action, and a  short clip of Rabbi Eric with two special helpers. Grocery bags of fresh fruits and vegetables delivered right to the door of seniors is one way we fight hunger and we couldn't do it without volunteers. Click here to get involved involved today.

And be sure to check us out on twitter for more MLK Day of Service Action!

MLK Day of Service

MLK Day isn't a day off here at the Food Shuttle. Rather, it's a day of service. AND it's the same for many of you. We  have volunteers coming to our Raleigh facilty and our Durham Service Center today, using their time off work to give back to their communities.  Keep checking with us throughout the day  here  and on twitter (@foodshuttle) for pictures and video of a community in action, working to make sure children, seniors and families get the food they need.