The Oakwood Inn gives back through Plant A Row

Local Bed and Breakfast owners Gary Jurkiewicz and his wife, Doris, have recently joined the Plant A Row for the Hungry program. Using non-traditional methods in his garden, Gary has employed worms to help him make all natural fertilizer. At the Oakwood Inn, not only can you find a historic building but also worms hard at work! Learning about the PAR program at the Logan’s kickoff event at the end of March and also through his neighbor, Sharon O’Neil, Gary converted his simple flower garden to a fruit and vegetable garden nearly two months ago. Looking out for the environment and his guests at the Inn, Gary mentions “the Inn has always [been a part] of the green movement and sustainability- even before we took over in 2001- and we also wanted a home grown garden for our guests.” Growing strawberries, carrots, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, and turnips (when the squirrels don’t get them!!), Gary grows crops for himself and his guests, but also for those in need. An herb garden, pomegranate tree, and peach trees also add to Gary’s garden; raspberries are soon to come!

Utilizing a drip irrigation system, which saves water, the fruits and vegetables are also nourished by a natural fertilizer known as worm castings- or worm manure, if you will. Converting trash into natural fertilizer, only organic products can be used in the worm containers, no dairy products or meat,

“…you look at your garbage in a different way- this is what Mother Nature normally does,” Gary said.

     

With no chemical runoff, Gary uses a simple pH meter to test his soil for acidity. The combination of natural fertilizer with the drip irrigation system ensures that Gary’s crops are not only environmentally friendly, but they are also produced in a careful manner. “It’s been a trial and error run so far…” Gary mentioned, but by and large, his garden is flourishing! Many thanks to Gary and Doris Jurkiewicz for their hard work and dedication to the PAR program!

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina at the DSC!

HR employees from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina volunteered at our Durham Service Center last week packing 250 bags for BackPack Buddies! The group was enthusiastic about filling the bags with meals for kids who might not have food to eat on the weekend outside school doors. Take a look at the video below to hear from Kim Evans and see the whole group packing wholesome meals for kids in Durham!

Teaming for Technology

Joe Burgess from the United Way of the Greater Triangle's Teaming for Technology stopped by the Food Shuttle today to deliver a computer for Amanda. Teaming for Technology provides refurbished computers for partner agencies at a fraction of the cost of a new laptop or desktop. Check out the video below to learn more!

We truly appreciate Teaming for Technology at the Food Shuttle because they save us money and increase our productivity in day-to-day activities!

Cary's Pocket Community Garden

Across the street from Keller Williams Realty in Cary, a group of folks  began to construct Cary's Pocket Community Garden last Thursday as part of Keller Williams RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day of service initiative to improve local communities. Cary's Pocket Community Garden has a dedicated area in the garden to grow produce and donate it to our Plant A Row for the Hungry program! A few Food Shuttle staffers stopped by the build day to see how the garden was coming along. The volunteers were enthusiastic about the garden and were hard at work building beds and moving mulch.  

We'll have an update on Cary's Pocket Community Garden later on in the growing season. If you have a backyard garden or a community garden, you can become a Plant A Row for the Hungry member too! Email don@foodshuttle.org to fill out a membership form and start growing produce for neighbors in need.

Healthy Drinks Are Important Too!

The following is a blog from NC State student Holly Starks. It is the 5th in a series of 6 posts she will be writing chronicling her experience as a Nutrition Instructor for a OFL Class she is teaching. If you haven’t already, read the 1st Week, 2nd Week, 3rd Week and 4th Week. Holly is teaching OFL as part of a Service Learning Class that has teamed up North Carolina State Students with the Inter Faith Food Shuttle’sOFL/Nutrition Program. Through this partnership, the Food Shuttle and NC State hope to engage students in service learning and community nutrition while expanding the reach of its OFL program. This past Tuesday, our Side by Side class at the Crosby Head Start Center discussed the importance of physical activity as a part of living healthy lives. The participants shared what physical activities they like to do as family such as going to the park or playing games. Being active together can provide fun, quality time with the family while also serving as a motivation factor to help each other stay active. As the families pointed out, exercising together doesn’t have to be in a gym but can be something simple like playing Simon Says, hopscotch, or Red Light Green Light.

Along with being active, I also pointed out the importance of staying hydrated throughout the day. The families learned about healthy, affordable drink options that can replace sodas or sugary drinks such as water, reduced-fat milk, and 100 percent juices. The families were able to try some healthy, alternative drink options through a taste test activity. They first tried tap water that they flavored with their choice of lemon, lime or both. As a class, we discussed how tap water is free and safe, and can be flavored with numerous things like fruits, cucumbers or mint. Next, the families tried “fruit sodas” which was a combination of seltzer water and 100 percent juice. “Mmmm,” Dorian exclaimed. Dorian, one of the kids in the class gulped down the soda happily. The rest of the class also agreed with Dorian that the fruit sodas were good. I told the class that fruit sodas are a great and fun way to reduce calories from 100 percent juices, which can have higher calorie content due to sugars.

Lastly, the families tried smoothies that were made using mangos and oranges. The families shared different fruits that they would use for their own smoothies as I pointed out how smoothies can be a good way to get nutrients we all need through fruits and dairy that are incorporated into them. Avram also pointed out that a small amount of vegetables like spinach can be easily added into smoothies to add nutrients, but do not alter the flavor of the smoothie.

While talking about drinks, we also discussed the importance of choosing low-fat milk products and the nutritious benefits that we get from consuming milk. Whole milk is higher in fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol, which can both contribute to the risk for chronic diseases like heart disease. The instructors told the parents that skim milk is a great alternative because it does not have any fat and is lower in calories, sugars, and cholesterol. The participants were hesitant about switching to skim milk because they were afraid it would taste too watery. We encouraged the families to at least try skim milk and see if they like it. Luckily, we had some skim milk from our orange oatmeal pancake recipes that we made during the cooking lesson. At the end of class, one of our participants, Tamika, agreed to try the skim milk. “Hmm, it’s not bad,” she paused after a sip “Actually, I think I’ll try some more.” Tamika was pleasantly surprised that she liked the skim milk and we offered to let her take the rest of the milk home to let her family try it as well.

Next week the families will be graduating! Join us for our last week to hear about what the families have learned from the class as well as the fun activities they will get to do in celebrating the completion of the course.

Meet Elizabeth Stahl, our new intern!!

Hi! My name is Elizabeth Stahl and I am a senior at North Carolina State University.  I am a Communication major and a German minor and recently began interning at the Comm Dept at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle!  Born in Asheville, I have grown up volunteering at MANNA Food Bank and am passionate about helping the community.  My mother Beth, who currently works at MANNA, taught me the importance of volunteering at an early age.  I have assisted with the MANNA Packs program and with other events around MANNA such as the Blue Jean Ball. She instilled her own desire to help others in me; this summer I am fortunate enough to be interning with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle! Not only will I be working around the IFFS office, but I will also get hands on experience with the community, so watch out for me!  I will be in the field attending community events and a variety of IFFS programs, taking pictures and ensuring that you know about our successful programs and future volunteer opportunities!

What I have learned so far:

I recently learned that the food shuttle system is different from the food banking system.  While food banks store mass quantities of food for distribution around the community, food shuttle systems pick up food from around the area, whether from restaurants or grocery stores, and they immediately distribute the food around the community accordingly.  While slightly different, both are eager to stop hunger and help others!

I have always appreciated the non-profit atmosphere and am looking forward to working with volunteers, community members, and the IFFS team. My mother certainly inspired me to help others, and hopefully this summer I can do the same.  Look for me around while volunteering! 

And the winners are...

Eggatha and Nugget!

You voted, and our new chickens have been named! Thanks for participating in our Name the Chickens Contest and giving the newest members of the Food Shuttle family a couple of creative names.

Congrats to Stephanie Moore and Sally Bache for submitting the winning names! The winners will receive a dozen eggs from the chickens and a few Food Shuttle surprises.

Friday Wine Down at Earth Fare

Join us this Friday at Earth Fare for a wine tasting and live music in Brier Creek! It will be the perfect ending to your week - sipping wine and supporting Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. See you there!

May 14, 6-8pm

Earth Fare in Brier Creek

10341 Moncreiffe Rd Raleigh, NC 27617 (919) 433-1390

Meet a Hunger Fighter

Who: Tom Miller What: Volunteer Truck Driver (and soon to be Volunteer Photographer!)

Where: the Cary Route and often fills in on the North Route

When: since August 2009; once a week but if it is more than that, he’s usually helping on Thursdays to help with the Backpack Buddies Route.

Why: I worked in corporate America for numerous years, and after doing this I feel like I’m finally giving back to the community.”

Background: Tom is a freelance photographer for the Carolina Mudcats, NCSU Baseball, the Triangle Miracle League, and the Easter Seals of North Carolina and Virginia.

Tom first heard of the Food Shuttle back in the summer of 2009, when he and his wife moved to the area. His wife is a branch manager for the US Food Service, and through that connection he learned about the Food Shuttle. Tom was able to come a Culinary Job Training Program graduation soon after! Since then, he felt compelled to volunteer. He says,

I started volunteering because I was unemployed and it was something to keep me busy. But after being here, I think Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is a terrific organization. The staff is always so pleasant and easy to get along with.”

Partner with us in alleviating hunger from the Greater Triangle! Join Tom and 1,000 other volunteers and become a hunger fighter today!

Crew Call

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Farm and GardenCrew-Call

More than ever we need YOUR help! Haven’t heard about the recent expansion at the farm? One of our dedicated volunteers, Nyssa, blogs about it here. We’re gearing up for big production this season to supplement our fresh produce deliveries and YOUR participation in the Saturday Work Days is vital to our efforts at addressing community food security. So, c’mon and help us put some roots down!

VOLUNTEER TIMES & EVENTS

Farm Work day, Saturday between 9a-2p (2401 Dover Farm Road)

• We’re ready to plant more tomatoes, cucumbers and squash and need 10 volunteers that can each commit 2-3 hours this Saturday!
• Reserve your spot with Sun (sun@foodshuttle.org) so he knows you’re coming out to help.
• If you can, please bring tools with you so we can get more work done: trowels, hoes, shovels, and rakes are needed.

Community Gardens Work times

Alliance Medical Ministry Wednesday 3:30-5:00pm

Neighbor to Neighbor Thursday 3:30-5:00pm

Mayview Friday 3:30-5:00pm

• In all gardens we are working with community members and youth to grow their gardens!
• We need 3 volunteers for each work day- email Amanda (Amanda@foodshuttle.org) if you are planning on coming.
• Garden Addresses/Directions: Alliance Medical Ministry is located at the corner of New Bern Ave. and Donald Ross Dr. at 101 Donald Ross. Neighbor to Neighbor is at 1200 S Blount Street; 1 story brick building on right with long chain link fence. Please park on E Bragg street (on right before you get to N2N). The Mayview garden site is located down the grassy hill behind the duplex at 2136 Mayview Rd (backing up to the Jaycee field).

Upcoming Event: Community Outreach Training Saturday, May 22 from 10a-1p

Join Sun and Nickie, our Hands on Health Program Coordinator, as they lead discussion in how to engage and empower individuals to help their own communities. Learn what community organizing is all about and help us connect with families in the community gardens neighborhoods. RSVP to Sun: sun@foodshuttle.org

Name the Chickens: Only 1 day left! Vote for your favorite names here.

Wanted: Community Garden Leaders

Enjoy gardening? Are you a natural leader? Looking for a way to get more involved in your community? Become a Garden Leader and help us grow the Food Shuttle community gardens. We’re now looking for energetic volunteers to coordinate community members and volunteers in garden work and activities at each of our 3 Raleigh gardens. For more information, please email Amanda (Amanda@foodshuttle.org).

PAR (Plant a Row for the Hungry) – sign up to become a member or drop off site! The IFFS PAR program encourages people to grow extra and/or donate excess produce to people in need through IFFS. We will have weekly PAR produce drop-off sites at locations around our 7 county service area, including at Logan’s Monday through Saturday.

• If you are interested in becoming a member (donating produce from your own harvest) or know of a farmers market or store that might be interested in becoming a PAR drop-off site please contact don@foodshuttle.org.

GARDEN SUPPLIES: We are still in need of hand-tool donations. We gladly accept new and/or lightly used equipment. Thanks to all who have responded.

New Volunteer? If you have not filled out a volunteer form or have a friend who is interested in helping out please email Amanda at (Amanda@foodshuttle.org)

See you at the Food Shuttle farm this weekend!

Sun, Amanda, Steven, Elizabeth & Katherine