Feed the Hungry in Wake County: UUFR’s Food Security Ministry

(Updated December 7, 2020)

 

The goal of the Food Security Ministry Team to expand food security and help end hunger in Wake County.  Our team works together to facilitate ongoing efforts and provide new or one-time opportunities for individuals of all ages affiliated with UUFR to participate with agencies that reduce food insecurity.

In Wake county, “Map the Gap” (Feeding America) estimates that over 130,000 individuals, 41,000 who are children, face food insecurity. What does that mean? It means that children, families and seniors lack access at times to enough food for an active, healthy life.  People have to make choices between important basic needs like housing and medical bills, and buying nutritionally adequate food.

How does UUFR help to increase food security?

  • Coordinate UUFR participation in and support of food security programs offered by community partners;
  • Evaluate and, as appropriate, pursue new congregational opportunities to help expand food security and end hunger;
  • Create educational and service opportunities at UUFR via programs such as Wellspring, Young Adult Ministry, or Youth Religious Exploration to help raise awareness about issues of hunger and affordable access to nutritious food;
  • Participate in advocacy efforts to help expand food security and end hunger; work together to coordinate and schedule periodic congregational collections to alleviate hunger, such as proposing a related Justice Sunday collection recipient, and during UUFR’s Holiday Giving Season;
  • Communicate regularly with the Social Justice Council and congregation; and
  • Recruit and train volunteers at UUFR to help support the congregation’s food security efforts.
  • Work together to organize around food security as well as in partnership with UUFR’s ministers or UUFR’s other ministry teams

UUFR has partnered with multiple food security organizations in Wake County for many years.  Due to COVID-19, these agencies have pivoted from direct contact services to no-contact services.

 

Love Wins Love Wins uses a mind, body, and spirit approach to provide a day shelter, hot meals, and peer support for people experiencing homelessness in Raleigh, NC. Love Wins is a place of welcome and relationship for people who are experiencing homelessness.  Staff at the day shelter prepare hot meals, to-go lunch bags, snacks, and peer support for people experiencing homelessness. Each week, Chef Billy prepares a list of food and non-food needs and UUFR members use SignUp Genius to donate items.  He and Pastor Vance prepare 100 plated meals a day. Volunteers bring the items to the UUFR Action Parking Lot on Friday mornings between from 10:30 am and 12 pm.  Once a month (3rd Wednesday), UUFR volunteers prepare food to create a dinner meal for 100 homeless people.  These volunteers bring their meal contribution to the UUFR Action Parking Lot and Linda Liles transports the food to Love Wins.  Linda Liles creates a Sign Up Genius form for donations. Contact Linda Liles to get involved: lslies@gmail.com

 

Interfaith Food Shuttle The Interfaith Food Shuttle (IFFS) is a member of the Feeding America National Network of Food Banks.  The IFFS recovers and distributes food to our low-income neighbors.  Their programs are also designed to empower people with skills to meet their own food needs through culinary job training, beginning gardening, and cooking healthy on a budget. The IFFS feeds, teaches, and grows to create a hunger-free and healthy community. UUFR participates in two projects coordinated by the IFFS.

  • Grocery Bags for Seniors supplements the fixed income of our older community members through door-to door distribution of fresh produce and groceries. Seniors face unique challenges: lack of access to transportation, functional limitations, and health problems. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle works with volunteers to help pack almost 2,000 grocery bags a month with fresh produce, non-perishable food, and healthy snacks and delivers the food to numerous senior housing communities in Wake County. These groceries can provide up to 8 nutritious meals for seniors. The UUFR team meets at the IFFS warehouse once a month (3rd Thursday 11:30 am-1:30 pm) to bag the groceries and deliver them to senior house communities using our personal cars. Due to the pandemic, we place the bag in front of the door, knock on the door, and move to the next apartment (wear masks and gloves).  Contact Sandy Pearce or Karen Goldfarb to get involved: scarterpearce@gmail.com, kgoldfarb@nc.rr.com
  • BackPack Buddies (Interfaith Food Shuttle) BackPack Buddiesis designed to provide children from low-income households with 10-12 pounds of nutritious kid friendly groceries for the weekend when free school lunches and breakfasts are not provided. The Food Shuttle works with each school system and individual schools to identify need.  School officials at each site identify students to receive BackPack Buddies.  Because of the pandemic, we are not packing the back packs as this time, but are donating the funds to purchase pre-packaged food through twice a year Justice Sunday donations.  Contact Susan Silverio for more information:  ssilverio@bellsouth.net

 

Urban Ministries

Urban Ministries engages the community to respond to Wake County residents in crisis by providing basic needs – food, medicine, and shelter.  People come to Urban Ministries when food and funds have run out, when untreated illness threatens their family stability or even their life.  People come to Urban Ministries when “home” has slipped away, leaving them to wonder where they’ll sleep or how they’ll make a meal.

  • Periodic special donation collections (e.g. masks, reusable plastic bags)
  • Food Pantry – For many years UUFR members supported the Urban Ministries food pantry. Members routinely donated shelf-stable food which was stored at UUFR and then dropped off at Urban Ministries for distribution to clients. In March 2020 food drives were suspended due to program changes made in response to COVID. However we anticipate that UUFR will again participate in a monthly donation to the food pantry. Contact Amy Gilbert for more information on how to participate: amy@gilberts.io
  • Holiday Food Collections (Thanksgiving, Christmas) – As a result of COVID, in 2020, Urban Ministries developed a new method for food distribution. They organize groups in the community to gather food donations, assemble meal kits, and drop them off to Urban Ministries to deliver to families for holidays.  Contact Amy Gilbert for more information on how to participate: amy@gilberts.io
  • Helen Wright Center for Women Meal Train – This program provides safe shelter, warm food, and genuine care to homeless women. Caseworkers connect clients to services in the community.  Volunteers prepare and distribute meals every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and donate simple amenities – blankets, socks, soap, and shampoo.  In the past UUFR was part of the meal train for the Helen Wright Center.  We will begin participating in 2021 by coordinating breakfast food once a month.  In the future, we will return to serving the food to the residents of the shelter.

 

Community Assisted Agriculture (Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI)

RAFI is sponsoring a new initiative, the Community Supported Agriculture project (CSA). This initiative is part of their “Come to the Table-Farmers of Color Network” effort. RAFI staff link churches and farmers to develop CSA agreements, and hopefully relationships. Individuals/families become a member of a CSA though an agreement to purchase “a share” of a farmer’s harvest, helping to create financial stability for the farmer.  CSA boxes include common fruits and vegetables, usually enough for up to 4 people per week.  RAFI estimates that members will commit to $100/month of food (50 lbs.).  UUFR participation involves 10 or more individuals/families who purchase shares in a farmer’s crop. UUFR volunteers receive and distribute food boxes to UUFR share members, using our parking lot as a distribution point with other congregations.  This project intersects three of our ministry teams, Food Security, Environmental Justice, and Anti-Racism.  Contact Donna Doran for more information on how to participate: CSA@uufr.org