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Feeding
Community
Non Profit Org.
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Winston-Salem, N.C.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
3655 Reed Street Winston-Salem, NC 27107
(336) 784-5770
www.hungernwnc.org
FULL PLATE
A Publication of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
Spring 2016
THIS is Community
NUAL
N
A
15
Y
T
P
EMWLS
BO IL 27
TH
In spite of working full time, Sky Ray struggles to feed her family.
Her story illustrates how non-profit and public programs work
together to lift up families striving for a better life.
APERI N S I D E]
An optimistic and tenacious young mom, Sky Ray lights up
when she talks about her children – Jaden, who turns 10 this
month and Serenity, age two. It’s the same when she talks about
her job as a Family Outreach Worker for the North Carolina
Baby Love Plus Program, administered in Guilford County by
the Piedmont Health Services and
Sickle Cell Agency, a partner
program of Second Harvest
Food Bank.
[S E
15 ANNUAL
EMPTY BOWLS
APRIL 27, 2016
TH
Benton Convention Center
New !
Venue
301 West Fifth Street
Downtown Winston-Salem
11a.m.- 2 p.m. Drop in anytime!
Tickets: $25 in advance
$35 at the door
Ticket price includes lunch and a bowl.
Purchase online at hungernwnc.org or call 336.784.5770
Feed Hope. Feed Our Community.
Hungry Communities Cannot Flourish
Food insecurity is related to:
Lower
Overall
Health
Delayed
Development
in Children
Low Birth
Weight for
Babies
Decreased
Mobility in
the Elderly
Behavioral
Problems
in Children
Increased
Likehood of
Mental Health
Problems
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
A vital resource for food insecure families and others, BECAUSE OF YOU.
To these two full-time
roles, Sky’s recently added
a full-time course load at
NC A&T University, with
classes on campus two
nights a week and
online courses the
other three. Her
day starts at
5:30 a.m. and
ends when the
homework’s
done. It
can be
overwhelming,
and sometimes
there are tears,
but never as
gut wrenching
as the day she
arrived at the
doorstep of the
Salvation Army
Family Shelter,
with a younger
Jaden in tow.
Two Steps Back
Sky was a full-time manager for Foot Locker when, a few months
into her pregnancy with Serenity, she began experiencing
seizures. After repeated hospitalizations and significant lost
hours at work, she could no longer pay her rent. Eight months
pregnant, with nowhere else to go, the shelter was a refuge.
“During the day, Jaden stayed active with other kids in the Boys
& Girls Club, but the adults had to leave. I didn’t have a car
then and, by that point, I was only managing to work 10 hours
a week. I went to the public library or the mall to escape the
summer heat.”
Just days before she gave birth, Sky and Jaden left
the shelter to stay with a family member who’d
agreed to a short-term stay. Sky returned to work
and eventually moved her family to public
housing. She’d been on the waiting list
over a year and a half. It wasn’t ideal.
Sky worried a lot about Jaden’s safety.
An Open Door
At the start of her pregnancy,
Sky was referred as a
client to the Baby Love
Plus Program. She
stayed connected
with Angela, her case
manager, who had
coordinated prenatal
care and trips to the
doctor and, most
important to
Sky, given her
encouragement
to stay
strong and
motivated.
With Sky at the helm, the Ray family is building a better life,
thanks to support from friends, neighbors and community.
continues on
next page, ‘THIS
is Community ’ >
SAVE THE DATE
Wednesday, April 27
15th Annual Empty Bowls
Benton Convention Center
Downtown Winston-Salem
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
(Drop in anytime!)
Tickets: $25 in advance;
$35 at the door
Saturday, May 7
Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out
Hunger Food Drive
It’s easy to participate!
Simply place your bagged,
non-perishable food
donations by your mail box.
(No glass jars please!)
Saturday, June 4
PTI Run on the Runway
PTI Airport, Greensboro
Start: 8 a.m.
Saturday, June 18
Gate City Triad Mustang
Club Car Show & Food Drive
Home Depot parking lot
Wendover Ave. and
Bridford Pkwy., Greensboro
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Want more news about
how your support is
making a difference?
Don’t miss out on events and
opportunities to get involved!
Sign up for our Small Bites
e-newsletter and join us on
Facebook and Twitter! For
more details and updates,
visit hungernwnc.org.
LET’S STAY CONNECTED!
facebook.com/Food.Bank.NWNC
twitter.com/nwncfoodbank
THIS is Community
continued from cover
It took nearly two years before Sky was able to
move herself and her kids into a better housing
situation and put a down payment on a used car.
Things were looking up. No longer tied to the
bus line, she could look for better paying work.
But when she took the leap to a new job, the net
broke—her first paycheck, and those of all her
co-workers, bounced.
“I had no idea what I was going to do until
Angela called. There was a new, grant-funded
position open with the Baby Love Plus Program,
and she was encouraging me to apply.”
When the Ends Won’t Meet
Sky and her kids are doing well. But
sometimes the math just doesn’t work.
Monthly Income
$1847
Monthly expenses
$1570
(net wages and child support)
(housing, utilities, transportation, insurance,
childcare, healthcare)
Remaining funds
for living expenses
$277
(food, clothing, and other necessities)
Official USDA Estimate of Cost of Food for
1 adult and 2 children - Thrifty Plan: $425.80.
Source: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov
Sky started her new job as a Family Outreach Worker nine months ago. She's
grateful to the people and organizations supporting her on her journey. This
includes Second Harvest Food Bank and the Piedmont Health Services Food
Pantry. The help she is able to get at the pantry means there's nutritious food
on the table and enough money to keep the lights on. And that means Sky can
stay focused on building a better life for her family.
Roles Reverse
Sky’s enrolled at A&T to become
a Social Worker. Her vision
board (picture on right) affirms
her inspiring attitude and
determination to stay healthy,
strong and moving forward.
Serenity is thriving and Jaden,
who was failing in school last
year, is now a straight-A student.
Every other Tuesday, you’ll
find Sky at the Salvation
Army Shelter teaching a class
and interacting with families.
“It was hard to go back to the Shelter the first time. I could see the
familiar pain and worry in their eyes. When I share my story, I know it’s helpful,
especially to other young mothers. Having a supportive family is a blessing, but
sometimes you have to be your own superhero.”
Our network’s core service of food distribution provides
essential assistance to thousands of vulnerable and foodinsecure people every week. Yet we know that hunger does not
exist in isolation. We must bring essential programs together
and work across sectors to create collaborative actions to
support greater individual and family stability in our community.
Clyde Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
I N S P I R A T I O N
Cultivating Community Change
Imagine what our community would be like if all our
organizations— non-profits, businesses, government, schools,
funders — and citizens were aligned behind
a common vision that we all agreed
would lead to greater stability for
every member of our community.
of the Boston Thurmond, Cleveland Avenue and Waughtown
neighborhoods to look at four key and connected issues: food
insecurity, affordable housing, healthcare services
and economic opportunity.
Together, we will define a road
map—a set of shared goals and
measurable objectives to address
family stability and opportunity
in these communities.
This is the work we have
embarked upon as the
lead convener of a new
initiative in Forsyth
County— Collaborating
for Clients. We are honored
to have been selected by
Feeding America and the Laura and John
Arnold Foundation as one of only five food banks in the nation
to receive funding to support collaborative responses to the
underlying issues that can lead to hunger in the first place.
“An overarching goal for our
food bank is to understand how
best to bring together our expertise
and broad reach with that of other
non-profits and community sectors to support significant,
positive change for low-income families in all of the communities
we serve,” said Nikki McCormick, Director for Agency Relations.
A Design Institute held earlier this year in Winston-Salem brought
together a leadership group of collaborating partners and residents
Generous local funders include: The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, United Way
of Forsyth County and the Winston-Salem Foundation. Data Partner: Forsyth Futures.
A Prescription for Better Health - Ashe County
Physicians can play a central role in screening and identifying
children and adults at risk for food insecurity and connecting
them to resources. At one regional hospital, they’re doing just that.
We’re excited to announce the launch of the first hospitalbased food pantry in our network – a partnership between
Ashe County Sharing Center Food Pantry, Ashe Memorial
Hospital and Second Harvest Food Bank.
The hospital has implemented changes to screening practices
to identify patients who may be experiencing food insecurity
and is providing space and resources for an onsite food pantry.
It’s stocked with healthy food options and provides ready access
to nutrition assistance for any patient that may need it upon
discharge from the hospital.
“The right quantity and quality of food
is essential for a healthy,
active life and key
to preventing
disease, supporting
health recovery
and managing and
reducing chronic
diseases,” said Laura
Lambeth, RN and
chief executive officer at
Ashe Memorial Hospital.
“Now our patients who may need assistance can leave with bags
of nutritious food options in addition to any prescriptions or
doctor’s orders.”
Ashe County Sharing Center Food Pantry and Second Harvest
Food Bank initiated dialogue with the hospital, highlighting
data from the most recent Hunger in America study that
reinforced the connections between food insecurity and health.
For example, among those who turn to local food pantries
serving the Ashe County community, 72 percent of households
have had to choose between buying food and paying for medical
care/medicines.
“We know that food insecurity can
worsen chronic health conditions
such as diabetes and hypertension,
and we’re working with hospital
dieticians to tailor special meal
boxes for these patients,” said
Michael Sexton, executive
director for the Ashe County
Sharing Center.
“This is an approach whose time has
come,” said Jan Jones, Regional Outreach
Manager with Second Harvest Food Bank. “We and our
partner programs will continue to meet with interested health
institutions across our service area.”
Build a
Movement
S T A T I O N
Heed the Wisdom of Youth
Diana Aviv believes
that together we can
achieve a hunger-free
America. She’s the
new Feeding America
CEO and an incredible
force, with proven ability
to create collaboration among
groups of all kinds to strengthen communities. As the former
President and CEO of Independent Sector, Diana served on
the White House Council for Community Solutions that
mobilizes citizens, non-profits, businesses and government
to solve community needs. Recently, we had the honor to
host Diana as part of her national listening tour with selected
member food banks. We’re confident that her vast leadership
experience and passion will accelerate strengthened collective
action to help our nation’s families achieve food security,
stability and self-sufficiency.
Help with Basics
“Sometimes it’s the
things we take for
granted that can mean
the difference whether
a family has enough
money to keep the lights
on. Food is critical
among these, but
other basic items
are costly, too."
Jimmie Welch, Athletic Coach and Founder,
Davie High School Hunger Fighters
Thanks to you, our partner programs in local communities,
committed school administrators and foundation partners,
our food bank’s School Pantry Program is a growing resource
for families in need in our area. And thanks to partners
like Proctor & Gamble, which recently awarded Second
Harvest Food Bank a $10,000 grant, program sites
in Alamance, Davidson and Davie Counties will
soon be stocked with toothpaste, laundry detergent
and bathroom tissue, in addition to ingredients for
nutritious meals for students and their families.
Our food bank and partner programs will joyfully
accept your donations of laundry detergent, shampoo,
toothpaste, toilet paper and diapers!
“People need to realize that you don’t have to have
outrageous goals to make a big impact. You just have to
figure out what matters most to you and do something
about it.” Langston Peoples, a.k.a - "The Food Dude," Age 13
Langston has been a Food
Drive Block Captain since
Dec. 2012. To date, he's
collected more than 3,000
pounds of food through
neighborhood drives.
Learn more about our
Block Captain Program
on our Food Drive page at
hungernwnc.org.
Reduce
Food Waste
Food waste really gets our goat. Our Food Recovery program
(made possible in partnership with our grocery retail
partners, food manufacturers, farmers and others)prevents
food waste and remains the single largest food source for our
programs. American consumers have a huge role to play, too.
Discarded food in homes and foodservice accounts for 60
percent of food waste in our nation and is mostly avoidable.
With so many different types of dates on food packaging,
it’s understandable that you may be confused about what
they all mean. Some dates are references for food safety,
while other dates are meant to inform you of the food’s
quality or to help retailers be aware of how long to display
the food. Below is some guidance from the USDA. You
can find more information at: http://1.usa.gov/1nFu7N1.
• A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product
for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
• A “Best if Used By (or Before)”
date is recommended for best
flavor or quality. It is not a
purchase or safety date.
• A “Use-By” date
is the last date
recommended for the
use of the product
while at peak quality.
The date has been
determined by
the manufacturer
of the product.