Disaster Relief & Help

SUPPORTING PEOPLE IMPACTED BY TORNADOES THIS SUMMER

Thanks to the support of Rise Up Raleigh and other donors, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is feeding 300 families impacted by the tornadoes (serving more than 1,000 people) this summer.  We are providing food directly to families and individuals through our mobile markets, boxes of food and increased distribution to partner agencies.  We are working with elementary schools which have high percentages of families impacted and through local faith-based communities, the Mexican Consolate, and our traditional partner agencies.

FIRST RESPONSE TO THE APRIL 16th TORNADOES

In the first week after tornadoes hit our community, IFFS:

• Distributed over 150,000 pounds of emergency food and water
• Provided boxes filled with food to more than 1325 people in 350 families
• Prepared and served 1,000 free, hot meals a day for four days 
• Served a full Easter dinner, complete with Easter Baskets

IFFS distributed an average of ten tons of emergency food each day to people impacted by the tornadoes and served hot meals where the tornadoes hit hardest. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle worked with FEMA, City of Raleigh, Red Cross and NC Baptist Men to provide them with food and supplement their efforts in the Triangle. In addition to our immediate emergency efforts, IFFS held free mobile markets in the Stony Brook neighborhood and Four Oaks community. We also distributed more than 1,000 food boxes directly to families.  We walked street in low income neighborhoods (Raleigh Boulevard area, Raleigh North and Milbank Court Apartments) impacted by tornadoes hand-delivering healthy, nutritious food).  IFFS also donated food to the families impacted at Powell Elementary School.

Despite the fact that Inter-Faith Food Shuttle did not have power itself days after the tornadoes, IFFS staff and volunteers met the emergency needs and continued delivering our planned services and distribution.

The need continues.  Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is committed to continue to help families impacted by the tornadoes by increasing the food collected and distributed through our 212 partner programs and agencies (soup kitchens, shelters, pantries, etc), conducting mobile markets in high impact areas and delivering food boxes. We are working closely with our distribution partners in areas hardest hit to provide much needed food.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

Our community came together to help address the emergency. Volunteers just showed up at our doors and asked what they could do to help and IFFS put them to work.

Organizations like: 

• the Pork Council reached out to its members for help and Smithfield donated 5,000 pounds of protein. 
• House of Raeford also donated 5,000 pounds of poultry. 

Our partners joined in to help: 

• Target donated Easter Baskets for our Easter Dinner; 
• Collazo Produce Company donated produce for our Stony Brook Mobile Market; and
• Dollar General helped coordinate our mobile market at Four Oaks

Food Drives were held by:

• WRAL-TV;
• WRAL-FM;
• Radio One; 
• Costco;
•  Kroger;
• Dunkin Donuts; and
• volunteers spontaneously organized food drives and dropped off carloads of collected food to IFFS. 

Companies sent employees to help including:

• Talecris;
• Progress Energy; 
• University of Phoenix; and 
• many others. 

In addition to running these emergency services, IFFS trucks are on the roads delivering healthy, nutritious food throughout the Triangle to our partner programs and agencies and performing direct distribution programs through mobile markets, grocery bags, BackBack Buddies and community gardens programs. 

IFFS IN ACTION

Tornado Disaster Relief - Kia Baker

Hot Meals - Terri Hutter

Food In, Food Prepared & Food Out - Jill Staton Bullard

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Family - Tornado Hits Our Family's 6th Birthday  

Shelly - Tornado Hit her Home

Vet - Tornado Hits Our Home when 82 Year Old Mom was Home 

IF YOU NEED HELP

Please call the Inter-Faith food Shuttle at (919) 250-0043.

On May 26th, the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) closed. If there are any questions regarding registering or how to register please go to 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd to meet with FEMA. FEMA Deadline is June 20th! There are two ways to register call 800-621-FEMA or online www.disaterassistance.gov. To be considered for FEMA assistance, please fill out the SBA loan application. This gets you into the system for consideration for the SBA loan AND/or other FEMA assistance. You don?t have to take the loan and if you are rejected, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance. However if you do not apply for the SBA loan you may not be eligible for FEMA assistance.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP

1. Donate Money ?Donate online or send a check to P.O. Box 14638, Raleigh NC 27620 or come to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, 1001 Blair Drive, in Raleigh, NC 27620.

2. Donate Food - Come to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raliegh, NC 27620. 

Food Items most needed:

�         Fresh Produce

�         Dry Goods- Rice, Beans, Flour, Sugar, Grits, Oatmeal

�         100% Juice (large bottles or individual)

�         Canned Meats (Tuna, Chicken)

�         Cereal

�         Healthy Snack Items

�         Water (jugs or bottles)

            3. Donate Your Time ? Volunteer! Please visit our website to sign up or call (919) 250-0043.