Families in Need of Food at Holidays

Many in area communities are unable to feed their families as a result of economic crisis, according to a new public opinion poll released by Feeding America. Food Banks around the country affiliated with Feeding America are reporting a 30 percent increase on average in requests for emergency food assistance.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee has also seen an increase in the need for food assistance. “Food has been going out just about as fast as it is coming in,” states Food Bank Executive Director, Rhonda Chafin, “Fortunately we have had a 30% increase in food drives this year and we are grateful for everyone’s support during this time of increased need.”
The Food Bank expects the need to increase during 2009 and hopes community support will remain strong enough to help. One way that people can help is to visit the Food Bank’s website . On the site people can make a monetary donation, sign up to volunteer or participate in a virtual food drive and donate food. “This year we must work together – as a nation, as a state – as a community – to provide for our neighbors in need. This year is different. It’s not just those who live in poverty we must help this year. This year it’s our neighbor,” states Chafin.
The mission of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee is to feed the hungry by securing and distributing food and grocery products to non-profit agencies that provide services to people in need in the eight-county region of Northeast Tennessee. The Food Bank’s vision is that no one in our area will go hungry do to lack of access to food. There are many ways for people to help:

Pledge to lose weight and for every pound a viewer loses, General Mills will donate 10 cents to Feeding America and its network of food banks – enough to provide one pound of groceries to a local food bank. Enter your weight loss goal at http://www.PFPChallenge.com. You can also clip the Pound For Pound seals from specially-marked General Mills products. For every seal mailed in, General Mills will donate 10 cents to Feeding America and its network of food banks. Brands with the Pound For Pound seal include Cheerios®, Honey Nut Cheerios®, MultiGrain Cheerios®, Total®, Fiber One® (Cereal, Bars, Muffin Mix, Pancake Mix, and Yogurt), Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™, Chex Mix® 100 Calorie, Warm Delights® Minis, Bisquick® Heart Health®, Cascadian Farm® (Cereal and Bars), and Yoplait Light®.

This holiday season, Feeding America is launching their inaugural “Fill a Bowl, Feed America” campaign on their Web site. The campaign hopes to provide the hungry with the opportunity to survive and even thrive. One in eight Americans is struggling with hunger—that’s 36 million people. You can help us fill virtual bowls with food, and hearts and minds with hope. Even a small donation can help provide many meals to the hungry. Every $1 donation to Feeding America provides 16 bowls of food to those in need. And now, with a special grant from Kraft Foods, every dollar you donate will be matched up to $200,000! One bowl at a time, you can help end hunger on secondharvest.org.

January 10, 2009 at MeadowView Convention Center to Benefit Second Harvest. Join AAA Travel for the 10th Annual Cruise and Travel show with live entertainment, more than 20 of the world’s best travel companies offering hundreds of mouth-watering vacation possibilities, amazing door prizes, and terrific day-of-show deals. The event is Saturday, January 10 at the Meadowview Conference and Convention Center from Noon to four p.m. AAA travel agents will be at the show to book vacations on the spot. Admission fees of $6 ($5 for AAA members) will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee. For more information about the 2008 AAA Travel Cruise & Travel Show, contact AAA at 423-246-7107 (866-762-7367) or 423-928-7671 (800-444-7671).