The school year has begun. For most, this means the excitement of returning to campus after summer break, or re-entering classrooms after a long year of online learning. But for many, the beginning of the school year brings to light a disturbing reality: one in five North Carolina school-age children will face hunger this year. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle believes in a hunger free community, and that child hunger is a solvable problem. This school year, Chiesi USA joined the fight to end child hunger with a dollar-for-dollar match for all back-to-school gifts made before August 31, 2021. With the inspiration of their generous match of $25,000, the Food Shuttle community rallied together to raise over $93,000! Combined with Chiesi USA’s matching funds, the Food Shuttle now has $118,000 available for child-focused initiatives this school year. The gifts continue to come in, and the Food Shuttle is incredibly grateful for all donor contributions.
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle focuses on tackling child hunger at every level, as the issue is multi-faceted and impacts children in a variety of ways. Food Shuttle child-focused initiatives include BackPack Buddies, which provides nutritious, kid-friendly weekend meals for our students facing food insecurity. Other efforts include Cooking Matters for Families, which teaches nutrition, food budgeting, and menu planning to children and their families. Agriculture Education initiatives like Growing School Gardens and Sprout Scouts deliver hands-on learning about fresh produce through garden education to children and their teachers. Furthermore, School Pantries provide accessible food assistance to children and their families at safe and convenient school-based locations.
Inter-Faith Food Shuttle would like to thank the more than 500 donors that gave their support during this match, as well as the donors that continue to give. Your contributions represent the heart of the community, and the Food Shuttle could not continue the fight against child hunger without your support. These donations are not only generous, but will directly impact the lives of thousands of children across central North Carolina who face food insecurity every day. Your support helps to improve the wellbeing of children, as their focus can be on the classroom and their classmates, instead of when and where their next meal will be.