By james art “Everybody Deserves to Eat” is painted on the wall of the Second Harvest Food Bank warehouse in Winston-Salem. Elon University volunteers took this motto to heart as they packed food and supplies on October 25 for these affected by Hurricane Helen — including disaster relief workers — c western north carolina.
In a partnership between Elon University’s Kernodle Center for Civic Life and Second Harvest, students, faculty and staff boarded a bus and traveled to Second Harvest’s central hub in Winston-Salem.
Second Harvest is a regional food bank responsible for providing food and supplies to 18 counties in North Carolina, from Boone to Burlington. Eight of the counties it serves are considered, according to Second Harvest FEMA Hurricane Impact Areas.
“Everyone Deserves to Eat” is the motto of Second Harvest Food Bank, seen on October 25. The food bank serves 18 counties in North Carolina.
Assistant Secretary Hannah Southern ’22 volunteered along with her colleagues in the secretary’s office. She said she sees this event as an opportunity to support communities in Western North Carolina without having to travel far.
“It’s really humbling to think about the opportunities that I have access to, the resources that I have, and how difficult it must be to not have easy access,” Southern said. “So I felt really grateful that I was able to contribute and make a difference and help provide that to someone else who might not have it.”
In two weeks the hurricane hit communities in the westA second crop began packing meals. With five meals in each box, volunteers and staff packed about 10,800 ready-to-eat food boxes, according to Second Harvest staff.
The food in the boxes comes from Feeding America and food bank partners, including local and national grocery stories.
For two hours, Elon’s volunteers—and several Wake Forest students—checked expiration dates, organized merchandise, shredded cardboard and packed two pallets worth of boxes.
Elon volunteers pack food and supplies at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Winston-Salem on Oct. 25.
At first, Southern felt overwhelmed by the fast pace of the process, but said she eventually got into the rhythm of packing.
“You’re all discussing it together, trying to figure out what we’re doing,” Southern said. “It was just a good community environment.”
As a Feeding America partner, Second Harvest is a member of a larger network of food banks across the country.
A subsidiary of Second Harvest, MANNA Food Bankserving communities in western North Carolina. During the storm, MANNA’s headquarters in Asheville was destroyed, leaving Second Harvest responsible for bridging the gap.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, about 10.9% of the population – approximately 1.2 million people – are are experiencing food insecurity in the state. With homes and resources destroyed in the storm’s wake, that number has greatly increased.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reissued 70% of SNAP benefits for September on October 6 to help replace food that has been destroyed or is no longer safe for consumption.
The Kernodle Center for Civic Life partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank to pack food and supplies for those in need in Western North Carolina on Oct. 25 in Winston-Salem.
The trip to Second Harvest was freshman Eli Karpas’ first time volunteering at the Kernodle Center. Karpas said he has volunteered at food banks in Houston, Texas, and wants to continue volunteering at Elon.
“It’s a great way for people to come together, not only to support other people, but also to feel good about themselves,” Karpas siad. “I mean you’re helping other communities. What’s better than that?’
Bob Frigo, assistant dean for campus life and director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, said the Kernodle Center chose to travel to Winston-Salem rather than Western North Carolina to be supportive but not intrusive. Frigo said it was important not to overburden local communities.
However, Frigo said the Kernodle Center plans to offer alternative trip during spring break to western North Carolina, which focuses on providing humanitarian aid.
Annika Geibel, assistant secretary, said it’s a rewarding experience to be able to give back to communities in need.
“I think it’s really important to really support your community — big or small,” Gaebel said. “We’re not directly in the community to give them that, but no matter what, you’re helping.”
As people are still working to rebuild after the storm, the Kernodle Center will return to Second Harvest to pack more boxes on November 8th and December 6th.