There she is! Our co-founder Jill Staton Bullard, in her environmentally green jacket, at her 2016 Raleigh Hall of Fame induction this month! Chef Terri Hutter, along with Jill's Food Shuttle and birth families, celebrated the lifetime achievement of this remarkable woman. In the words of the nominating committee: “…Through her never-ending desire to erase hunger in our community, hard work and collaboration with others, IFFS is a leader and example for others across the country in addressing food.” Jill officially retired from IFFS in July but remains active in environmental and food system work, particularly in Haiti. Watch the video here and prepare to be impressed! We love you, Jill!
Volunteer Spotlight: Sallie Simpson
Sallie Simpson helps with the Farm Stand most Saturdays and serves as culinary instructor for the Cooking Matters classes that are held at Urban Ministries. “Every person in the class realized tangible improvement by the end of the class... one of the doctors in the Open Door Clinic ...told me that the class would practically dance down the hall as they left the class each day!”
Tell us about your first-ever time volunteering with IFFS.
It was a cold, sleeting day in February – we were raking rocks out of a newly plowed field and spreading mulch. Everyone was so nice and we laughed so much that I decided to keep coming back!
Describe a volunteer moment that felt very rewarding.
Last spring I co-led a Cooking Matters class at Urban Ministries with Ana Cardia, and we had such a motivated class – each participant had been sent to class by their doctor for diet-related conditions. Every person in the class realized tangible improvement by the end of the class and one of the doctors in the Open Door Clinic at Urban Ministries told me that the class would practically dance down the hall as they left the class each day!
What would you say to recruit a friend to volunteer with IFFS?I would tell people that this is a great place to volunteer – the people are wonderful to work with. There is a lot of work, and lots of fun as well!
What does gardening have to do with hunger?
Seed to Supper is a comprehensive, 6-week beginning gardening course taught by NC State Master Gardeners. The course gives novice, adult gardeners the tools they need to successfully grow a portion of their own food on a limited budget.
Cultural Exchange Grows on IFFS Farm
Everywhere you look today refugees are in the news, even here at IFFS! The Food Shuttle Farm is providing garden space for a dozen families of displaced people from Myanmar. NCSU Cooperative Extension connected the local Karen community with the Food Shuttle to establish a space where they can use traditional techniques to grow foods they are familiar with. Kay Coleman, IFFS Farm Manager says “they are amazing farmers … they can do more with just this hoe than we can do with a tractor!” The Karen people of eastern Burma (Myanmar), an ethnic minority with an agricultural tradition, have been in conflict with the Burmese government since the late 1940s. The first Karen refugees arrived in the Triangle in 2004. Now there are about 2000 families in the area, but they struggle adapting to life in the United States.
Htoo Saw, a leader in the Karen community, gives generously of his time as a translator and cultural ambassador. He says the value of the garden to his people is immeasurable. “We are very grateful for this place where we can remember our homeland, our children can play outdoors in the fresh air, and we grow our own foods. This is how life was for us before.” Luckily, our climate is perfect for a lot of their traditional foods: water gourd, pumpkin, eggplants, okra, and yard-long beans all thrive here. The families tending garden plots grow enough food for their own families, as well as enough to share with their neighbors—something they can build new friendships on.
Kay says “having the families here has been a blessing to this farm. Their work ethic is amazing. We are learning from each other--they want to know how we do things here, and I am excited to see their traditional ways. We are so honored to have this opportunity!”
Volunteer Spotlight—Kathy Jenkins, Bob Perry & Bill Finger, the “Dream Team”
Kathy, Bob & Bill are all retired and living in Raleigh. On Wednesday mornings they run the Food Recovery & Distribution Downtown Route as “The Dream Team.” They didn’t know each other until Volunteer Manager Dalia Place put them together on a truck. Now they are a Wednesday institution, enjoying their time on the truck discussing politics, Virginia Tech and the ACC!
Kathy Jenkins has been volunteering with IFFS for about four years. She helped during Mediathons and as an FRD route Assistant. Before she retired and moved to Raleigh she had driven a school bus on occasion, now Kathy is a driver for the Downtown Route.
“It is fulfilling to provide agencies with the things they need. The Raleigh Rescue Mission is always so happy with the fresh produce we provide!”—Kathy Jenkins
Bob Perry first started working with the Food Shuttle nearly 20 years ago! Since retiring from IBM about 18 months ago, he has committed to giving IFFS one day/week. Initially he was a Driver’s Assistant with our staff Driver Eric Harrison, now he enjoys his Wednesdays with the Dream Team.
“I like getting to know the people at each agency and all the good work they do for the community!”—Bob Perry
Bill Finger is the newcomer to the group. He has been volunteering for about one year. He was retired and looking for a place to contribute when he learned about the Food Shuttle through a church member.
“The three of us have a nice camaraderie and division of duties worked out. We are like a well-oiled 3-on-3 basketball team!”—Bill Finger
All three recommend volunteering on an IFFS team as a great way to spend time with old friends … or make new ones!
Cooking Matters Tours Popping Up All Over
Cooking Matters at the Store (CMATS) is an informative, engaging, and effective program that provides ready-to-use nutrition and finance info to low-income individuals.
Celia Zhou, graduate of Enloe High School, will attend Wake Forest University as a Stamps Scholar this fall. She is a founding member of The Food Ark, a student-led organization that works to relieve food insecurity; a member of Capital Area Food Network’s Food Access and Security group; and host of the Cultivate Conversation event sponsored by the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation.
We’ll call her Sam.
I met Sam in my freshman choral ensemble class; we talked, sang together, and worked together.
The next time I interacted with Sam was 2 ½ years later when I volunteered for IFFS’s Cooking Matters Families class. With her mother and little brother she participated in the interactive program, learning how to buy and prepare nutritious foods. Her family was joined by 22 other students and family members.
InterFaith Food Shuttle's Food Ark at Elon High School. (Photo by Sara D. Davis for InterFaith Food Shuttle)
On six Tuesday nights, classroom assistants stocked fresh produce from the pantry for the participants to take home. During class we assisted the students and their families, guiding them through recipes. By the end of the course, we had cooked dishes ranging from Cheese and Vegetable Frittatas to Peanut Butter-Rolled Oat Cookies, demonstrating that these recipes are nutritious, practical, and tasty!
I witnessed individuals gain valuable life skills and realized the power of group cohesiveness when multiple families joined together to work towards a common goal. Families who typically ate separately bonded over shared food. After the program concluded, Abbey Riesett, lead coordinator, shared testimonials showcasing healthy lifestyle changes—including Sam’s mother thanking IFFS for helping her family try new foods and more healthy meals.
Cooking Matters bridges the critical gap between awareness and action. Engaging, hands-on strategies entice students and families to WANT to change and promote their own well-being. The class instills a sense of confidence, and students become empowered to take control—when before, a majority had limited access to such choices of food and cooking styles. These types of impacts create sustainable and healthy behaviors.
As I continue my own journey to reduce hunger, through The Food Ark and higher education, I will keep in mind the importance of practicality, innovation, and interaction that Cooking Matters taught me.
