MARCH 18, 2010 ISSUE
Take the 2010 Feinstein Challenge
Help The Hunger and Health Coalition End Hunger in Watauga County
The Hunger and Health Coalition is looking to the community for support during this year’s Feinstein Challenge to end hunger. The Feinstein Foundation, located in Rhode Island, will make a donation to The Hunger and Health Coalition (HHC) based on the amount of donations received during March and April.
HHC Executive Director Compton Fortuna said, “This is the fourth year we have participated in the Feinstein Challenge. In this economy, we need to pursue any opportunity that will increase the amount of food we can provide to the hungry in our community.”
HHC has six food assistance programs: the Food Pantry, which provides non-perishable foods to families; the Food Recovery Program, which provides prepared meals daily; The Market, which provides fresh produce, bread and dairy items; Snacks for Scholars, which provides healthy snack packs for children; Healthy Start, a program that delivers nutritious snack packs to the Head Start centers in Watauga County; and The Backpack Program, which provides nutritious foods to children through the school system.
The declining economy has affected people across the nation, reaching families of every income level. Locally, rising costs and unemployment have intensified the hardship for many in the community. As the recession persists and employment options are scarce, families are forced to turn to organizations like HHC for basic needs like food and medication.
Every day can be a struggle, according to families like the Browns, who continue to scrape by week after week. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been searching for work for more than 12 months. With two children in elementary school, they know that the children will have two meals a day at school, but there are many evenings when there is no food for dinner. The Browns visit the HHC Food Pantry every two weeks and receive canned items and staples; Mrs. Brown visits the HHC Market to pick up fresh produce and bread every week and can pick up healthy snacks for the children to have after school.
The food assistance they are receiving from the HHC will help the family survive until they find employment and get back on their feet.
Roger is also struggling through the prolonged recession. Two years ago, Roger’s painting business was thriving. Roger bought his first house and was proud to be self-sufficient and thriving. Unfortunately, when construction slowed, his business slowed down, too. Now Roger must go weeks without work.
Today, Roger is doing everything he can to keep his home and is hopeful that business will pick up soon. In the meantime, Roger visits the HHC Food Assistance programs for help, picking up prepared meals from the Food Recovery Kitchen, canned foods and meat from the Food Pantry and fresh fruits, vegetables and bread from The Market.
In 2009, HHC distributed boxes of food to 6,846 families and provided more than 20,000 prepared meals. Thanks to the generous donations of local grocery stores and restaurants, HHC distributed more than 230,000 pounds of bread, produce and meat.
There is an unprecedented need for contributions this year, as food supplies have been decreasing from Second Harvest Food Bank. Every dollar and every donated canned good will make a difference as HHC strives to meet the basic needs of local families.
Anyone interested in making a contribution can mail a donation to: P.O. Box 1837, Boone, N.C., 28607. Contributions can also be made online by clicking to www.hungerandhealthcoalition.com.
For more information, call The Hunger and Health Coalition at 828-262-1628 or email info@hungerandhealthcoalition.com.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
