Food banks across the country are constantly working to innovate and improve their services, and without them, the Feeding America network could never provide for those in need. Each month, we’ll be turning the spotlight onto an individual food bank that is working hard to become even more efficient and effective.
This month, we are featuring The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
Summer is here and school is out. As the last bell rings, thoughts of math equations and spelling tests evaporate faster than spilled ice cream on the boiling gravel of a playground during a searing Raleigh summer. But that last bell also marks the end of free or reduced price lunches for many children. In turn, food shelves and pantries report an increase in the number of parents and grandparents seeking food assistance for their hungry families.
Unfortunately, summer is also the time when donations decrease to charitable feeding programs.
In an attempt to curtail these unfortunate circumstances, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina came up with a method to increase awareness of hunger and nutrition during the summer while also raising the funds necessary to keep hungry kids fed. This Raleigh-based food bank rolled out Kids Summer Stock in 2008, a two-month festival and food drive hybrid. Last year’s multi-county event provided 1.2 million meals to those families and children suffering from hunger in North Carolina communities during summer.
This year’s Kids Summer Stock, which began in early June, is a series of concerts, festivals, and events held until late July. The meals raised by this campaign will help feed hungry children and families seeking assistance from the 900 partner agencies supported by the food bank in Durham, Greenville, Raleigh, Southern Pines and Wilmington, N.C.
Residents in these North Carolina towns can partake in the joyous series of events by attending an ice cream social, a concert by Grammy nominee Michael Feinstein, or the first ever Canned Film Festival. Attendance to most of these events requires a simple donation of canned goods or monetary gifts. This veritable array of entertainment is a great way to spend part of the summer while also giving back to the community.
To learn more about how you can participate in this year’s summer stock, please visit www.foodbankcenc.org.