Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is on a mission to end hunger in NC

This article was written for our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm

"Hunger is a solvable issue," said Ron Pringle, President and CEO of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Yet, North Carolina ranks as the 10th hungriest state in America, with 1.2 million North Carolina residents facing barriers to adequate food. Hunger does not discriminate. Not only could anyone be dealing with hunger, regardless of demographic, but oftentimes hunger hides in plain sight.

"You realize the individuals we serve look just like you and they look just like me. They sit in the cubicle next to me; they get up and go to work every single day just like I do; and they have the same love and compassion and want a future for their children, just like I do. However, they're sitting quietly–under pressure–because they're finding themselves in a situation they never thought they would be in. It could be for any reason. It could be because a spouse may have lost their job. It could be because of a medical expense that came up. It could be just because of a flat tire. It could be the single mom that got the 2% raise that put her over the benefits cliff, and now she no longer is eligible for her SNAP benefits," said Pringle.

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle knows food insecurity is part of a broader picture. The organization seeks to create strategic alignments with community partners to expand the organization's reach and deliver more services to North Carolinians in need. The Food Shuttle is guided by three main priorities: to feed, to teach, and to grow. Through community-centered solutions, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle recovers and distributes 10 million pounds of food each year to children, families, and seniors in need.

But beyond food distribution, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is focused on empowering communities to meet their food needs. Their programs are designed to teach skills for self-sufficiency, based on the understanding that solving hunger is about more than just putting food on the table. These programs include community health education which provides guidance on healthy, low-cost food; agriculture education to teach gardening and build skills to grow edible foods; and culinary apprenticeship programs that provide job training and placement to break the cycle of poverty.

Still, the organization relies on vital support from community members and other organizations to make the greatest impact. "This is not an issue we can solve ourselves," said Pringle. "We have to identify what we're good at–and that's what we do, that's the lane we're in. What is it that other social service organizations do? That's what they're good at and they're in their lane. So, we find where we may be overlapping, that's where the cultivation and partnership come into play to build a collaboration. You don't overlap, but you align yourself."

An important part of this is the role corporate sponsors, like Whitley Law Firm, play. These types of partnerships are, according to Pringle, "absolutely phenomenal on several different levels." He added, "[Sponsorship] means that, from the top down, leadership sees the company aligning with our mission, and that alignment is spoken throughout their organization. What that does for the employees is it gets them to further engage, even outside of their office."

Ben Whitley, Partner at Whitley Law Firm, agreed. "Part of our mission statement is 'We Answer the Call.' It's about protecting our clients, empowering our employees, and serving our community. It's a great opportunity for our staff to get involved, which we plan to do through volunteer work with the Food Shuttle in the coming months," he said. "Recognizing a group like Inter-Faith Food Shuttle that is doing such extraordinary work in our community, helping people get fed and educating people on how to grow their own food and how to eat healthily, we just want to add a megaphone to their organization and get more people involved."

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle always welcomes support from community members who are looking to make a difference in their neighbors' lives and fight against hunger in North Carolina. Volunteer opportunities are available and donations can go a long way towards getting food to the people who need it most.

This article was written for our sponsor, Whitley Law Firm