America’s Second Harvest is actually the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the United States and is a network of more than 200 member food banks and food rescue organizations.
This network secures more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and groceries every year which provide food assistance to over 25 million low-income hungry people annually. These food products don’t come from just groceries and restaurants, they are also collected from farmers, processing plants, manufacturers, US Fish and Game, and corporations. This food is typically stored in a food bank until it can be distributed.
A food bank is a huge warehouse repository that accepts all types of grocery products for redistribution. In addition to food, they often accept other types of non-food items as well. Perishables are checked for quality, stored in refrigerated rooms and quickly distributed before they reach their expiration date. Meats are put into deep freeze, and canned goods and dry staples are stored and shelved. Food Banks generally don’t distribute directly to the poor, but distribute this food and non-food items to agencies or special programs that do.
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In 2010, Feeding America, the Nation’s Food Bank network, in conjunction with 185 food banks and assisted by Mathematica Policy Research, conducted a survey to better understand hunger in America, the clients who receive emergency food assistance, the food banks
and agencies that assist them, and the network’s accomplishments and challenges.
In our last fiscal year, the Food Bank of the Abemarle provided over
3,598,490 pounds of food. That was a 12% increase from the prior fiscal
year. The food was provided to 108 agencies in the 15 counties they
serve. The Food Bank worked with many organizations and individuals to
acquire the food and bring it to northeast NC. For example, 16% was from other Food Banks, 5% was from Feeding America, 23% was provided through the NC Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, 20% came from the US Department of Agriculture,and a whopping 36% was the result of regional donations. The donations, both food and financial, came from retail stores, farmers, food drives, special events, grants, appropriations, and many, many individuals.
A food pantry is one type of direct distribution agency that distributes food to the poor. Pantries are typically staffed by volunteers and sponsored by local faith communities. These volunteers may receive food through private donations, the USDA commodities programs, or through a Food Bank network. Low income individuals and families can visit these pantries to receive a bags of emergency groceries.
Hunger in the Albemarle 2010.
Feeding America seeks not only to immediately alleviate hungerthrough distribution of food and grocery products to people in need,
but also to address the problem of hunger in the long-term by
increasing awareness among the public, connecting clients seeking
emergency food assistance with federal benefits, and advocating for
changes to programs and policies that support low-income Americans and
ultimately end hunger. Feeding America has conducted the survey on hunger quadrennially since 1993. Through more than
61,000 face-to-face client interviews and more than 37,000 surveys of
local charitable agencies, Hunger in America 2010 captures detailed
information about who is in need of emergency food assistance and their
circumstances, w
hich, in turn, helps charitable feeding organizationsdevrenelop programs that best support hungry Americans. The results also better inform the public policy discourse so that federal nutrition programs can better serve those in need. Over ¾ of those who received emergency food assistance have incomes below the Federal poverty level. About 43% are receiving help through the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps). Almost 70% report their child are participating the school breakfast and/or lunch programs. Almost 20% of the households receive assistance from the summer feeding program. Over 40% of the households have at least one employed adult. Almost one out of every five households reports they have very low food security. Almost 30% have a family member in poor health. The hunger study helped us understand more about the estimated 51,000 different people FBA and the agencies serve each year and their needs. One in three of the individuals is a child under 18. Tragically, 8% are children five or under. About one in six is elderly. The respondents at the agencies, considering race, are almost 80% non-Hispanic black, 17% non-Hispanic white, and 3% “other”. Sixty percent of the individuals helped are female. The individuals live in households that are forced to make difficult choices periodically. Almost half choose between buying food or paying for
utilities. About a third make the same difficult choice betweeen food and rent
or mortgage, or medicine and medical care, or transportation. In fact 1 in 8
reported no income the month before the interview. There are other individuals
who are greatly involved in Hunger in America 2010. These are the workers and
volunteers at agencies and mobile sponsors who counsel clients, search for and
gather food, and stretch scarce dollars. Virtually all of the agencies rely on
volunteers and many, over 80%, are operated entirely by volunteers.
The efforts broadened considerably this past year. The mobile food pantry
initiative grew primarily with volunteers and financial support from United Methodist
Church congregations, and sponsorship by the Duke Endowment and the Outer Banks
Hospital Development Council/ University Health Systems Foundation.
Food Pantry of Kitty Hawk
The pantry is a nonprofit organization that was incorporated in 1989. We are regulated by the Food Bank of the Albemarle, which is part of Feeding America. The Food Bank of the Albemarle administers the State Nutritional Aid Program (SNAP). Through this program the pantry receives 36 cases of food per month. There is no charge for this food. The remainder of the food given out at the pantry is either the result of food drives, is donated to us by Food Lion or is purchased by the Beach Food Pantry. The Homebuilders Association, the Girl and Boy Scouts, Kitty Hawk, First Flight and Nags Head Schools, as well as many other organizations conduct food drives every year to benefit the pantry. Many churches, organizations and businesses support us financially as well. However, a large amount of the food given out at the pantry is purchased and this figure has risen dramatically over the years.
In 2006, we spent just over $11,000 for product. In the years 2008 and 2009, we spent approximately $35,000 per year. In 2010, we passed this $35,000 mark at the end of June, with another six months to serve the community. This amount is in addition to the amount we pay for rent, electric, phone and insurance. We are hopeful that the County will meet the challenge in the next budget. We are asking the Board of Commissioners to help us continue to aid the community by increasing their support to cover the cost of our facility expenses.
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All Saints Episcopal Church
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Colington United Methodists Church
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Duck United Methodist Church
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First Baptist Church of Kitty Hawk
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Grace Lutheran Church by the Sea
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Holy Redeemer by the Sea Catholic Parish
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Jewish Community of the Outer Banks
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Kitty Hawk United Methodist Church
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Liberty Christian Fellowship
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Mighty Wind United Methodist Church
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Outer Banks Presbyterian Church
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Saint Andrews by the Sea Episcopal Church
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Stillwaters Baptist Church
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Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Outer Banks
Food for Thought
Hunger impedes children’s ability to think, learn and develop. The school breakfast and lunch program feed children at school but not on weekends. More than one in four of all elementary children in Dare County qualify for free or reduced breakfasts or lunches during the school year. Between September 2008 and February 2009, the number of eligible elementary children alone jumped 29 percent! Dare County has a unique economic situation. Compared to the Federal average, the number on welfare is comparatively small, while the number of challenged two-income families – making slightly above federal poverty level – is greater. This is due to the seasonal economy which is based on housing and tourism. Reduced off-season work hurts many of these 
families.Many volunteer programs provide after school meals during the school year. Many programs offer breakfast and lunch during the summer. But what about meals on the weekends during the school year!Food for Thought, in partner with businesses, churches, community groups, governmental officials and private citizens providing at least 500 deserving youth for
four meals and snacks. During the 2008-09 school year, a total of 59,000 meals were packed. Volunteers, including the working board members, donated more than 4,000 hours at a value of more than $60,000. Community partners donated items for free or reduced costs at a value of $25,000.
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Increase participation in the number of eligible preschool, elementary and secondary children receiving weekend and holiday meals to 600.
- Expand participation Food for Thought summer weekend/holidays feeding program among students from the YMCA summer program and 4-H summer program
- Continue providing mentoring support to the pilot program in a neighboring county.
You can help. Learn About the Program. Consider hosting a speaker at one of your organization meetings and become more familiar with Food for Thought and ways you can help.
Be a Volunteer. Each week during the school year, folks are needed to pack the bags of food at the distribution center in Manteo, set up the food for the next week, and then deliver the bags to the schools. Volunteers also meet at the center to receive the food from the Food Bank of the Albemarle and Food Lion. Or, you could pick up fresh fruit.
Donate Foods. Fresh fruits, individual entrees and individual desserts as well as milk are always needed. Donating these or providing them at cost is a tremendous help.
Consider In-kind Services. Printing, graphics, copying and professional services are invaluable.
Feed a Child. Another way to support Food for Thought is to make a tax-deductible donation. Why not feed a child for a school year? Each weekend, the four meals are $6.50. That’s only $250 for an entire school year! Or, endow a child for life for $4,500 (at today’s costs). Remember, more than 99 cents of each dollar raised is used to feed the children. Create an annual line-item in your church/business/organization’s budget
All Saints Episcopal Church
Dare County Alternative School
Duck United Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran Church
Kitty Hawk Methodist Church
Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church
Roanoke Island Presbyterian Church
St. Andrews by the Sea
Dare County School Administration
The Marketplace Food Lion
Western Sizzlin Steak House
