Interfaith Food Shuttle helps 'grand families' feed their children

The Interfaith Food Shuttle is helping “grand families” to make sure kids are fed.

“There are very few support groups for these families,” said Fragile Families Network founder Glenda Clare.

Clare said grandparents raising their young relatives don't get the kind of assistance that is available to Foster Care parents.

“They don't get any housing allowance,” Clare said. “They don't get any clothing allowance.

“They don't get any allowance to do care or to get involved in recreational activities. All of those are important for children. They don't get any of that.”

A Feeding America study shows the Raleigh metro area ranked number two nationwide for food insecure seniors. It also showed senior hunger was 11%.

“A lot of it's on a scale of how much you make a month, so a lot of them are choosing between paying rent,” said Interfaith Food Shuttle Community Health Education Program Coordinator Andrea Kerley. “Also, with the cost of groceries and inflation and all of that going up.

“They're really choosing between food and rent and probably medications as well.

Kerley says, for seniors with extra mouths to feed, the nonprofit’s Grocery Bags for Seniors program goes a long way. It provides food pantry staples, fresh produce and even healthy recipes.

“We rely heavily on volunteers, our volunteer services staff and community health, education staff, and from our food recovery and distribution staff, all work really closely together to make it all happen,” Kerley said.

The monthly deliveries, and other Interfaith Food Shuttle programs, are especially helpful to grand Families.

“They provide backpacks, you know, to take home on the weekends,” Clare said. “A lot of those families are very reliant on that.

“They're reliant on SNAP. they need that extra money to feed those children.”

With the cost of living today, many grandparents on a fixed income, every little bit counts.

Visit foodshuttle.org to learn more about programs, how to donate or how you can volunteer.