With A Giving Spirit
06 Aug 2024
Plateau food banks fighting food insecurity
By BRITTANY CONLEY
Despite outward prosperity on the plateau, their are residents and workers who struggle with daily food insecurity. It’s a harsh reality that many of us, who are fortunate to have three meals and snacks each day, may find hard to comprehend. We often see the valiant efforts to feed displaced people from war-torn countries or homeless encampments in major cities on our TV screens, and it's easy to believe that hunger is not a local issue. But the truth is, it happens right here.
According to the organization Feeding America, millions of Americans, including almost 20% of all our children, face food insecurity every single day. The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. Fortunately, organizations in Highlands and Cashiers are steadfastly feeding those in need. These local heroes are on the front lines, providing for those who are suffering right now. But they cannot do it alone.
Highlands Food Pantry
The International Friendship Center, in partnership with the Highlands United Methodist Church and MANNA Food Bank, serves the community through the Highlands Food Pantry, a 501c(3) organization that provides much-needed nutritious sustenance to those in need in Highlands and surrounding communities.
TJ Smith, executive director of The International Friendship Center (IFC), says the Food Pantry’s mission is always their most crucial program in the community. “Food insecurity is often overlooked in this area because of the prosperity of many of our residents. But the truth is that there are many people living in and around the plateau or commuting here for work who face food insecurity every day. Many have children and struggle to ensure their little ones have enough to eat,” says Smith.
Of those the IFC serves, many are of Hispanic heritage. Two years ago, the IFC put together an incredible annual event, Carnaval de Colores, to celebrate the rich culture of the Hispanic and Latinx communities. This not only brings awareness to the IFC and all the work they do, including the Highlands Food Pantry but allows residents of all walks of life to come together in a fresh way. “We wanted to have a celebration that centered Hispanic and Latinx culture and provided our non-Hispanic residents the opportunity to see their Hispanic neighbors in a way that wasn’t associated with their labor,” says Smith. Carnaval de Colores kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month and will be held on September 19th at the Village Green. Any individuals or local businesses interested in sponsoring Carnaval de Colores can contact info@internationalfriendshipcenter.org for more information.
Since the beginning of Carnaval de Colores, the Highlands Food Pantry has seen a meteoric rise in the community's needs. “Our pantry traffic surged from 940 individuals served in January 2022 to over 2000 in January 2023. We have had to limit the number of visits an individual [or family] can make to the pantry each month, and even with that, we have to work incredibly hard to keep the pantry stocked,” says Smith, who also says the other areas of service they offer are being stretched thin. Everything from assistance with utility bills and school supplies to car or home repair–the needs keep growing.
The Highlands Food Pantry is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10 am to 6 pm, but they encourage people to call if they have needs outside those hours.
Fishes & Loaves
In 2005, six local churches came together with the singular goal to serve their community by alleviating hunger in Jackson County, surrounding counties, and beyond. To do so, they formed Fishes & Loaves, a 501c (3) organization that strives to be an organization by the community, for the community.
In 2023, Fishes & Loaves served 11,604 people, roughly 3,500 households. They aimed to do even more this year and are set to do so. The executive director of Fishes & Loaves, Larry Morris, says their biggest fundraiser is one coming up on October 5th, The Empty Bowls event. The Empty Bowls event is lovely, but it can be sobering in context. Revered local potter Dr. Ned Turnbull and a few artists from The Bascom create and donate stunning bowls for the event, all to remind those in attendance of the empty bowls many people face daily.
In exchange for a bag of non-perishable food within the expiration date, attendees can take home a bowl. They also accept monetary donations and a small number of additional bowls will be sold at the event. “Each year we get three to four thousand in donations and purchases as well as several thousand pounds of [canned goods], which offsets what we must purchase to continue to serve the needs of our neighbors,” says Morris. “In 2023, we purchased over $60k worth of food and received 112,131 pounds of food through Manna Food Bank and local donations of 25,393 pounds. We served almost 50 percent more people in 2023 over 2022 and saw our food purchases increase proportionally.”
Unfortunately, rising food costs are not Fishes & Loaves' only challenge this year. Their facility recently underwent a massive construction project totaling over $300k. It included everything from foundation repair, replacing coolers and freezers, expansion and adding an awning over an entrance ramp to protect clients during inclement weather. “We have received around $67.5k in grants for our addition but still need money for the building project. We have used our reserves to pay for the cost but appreciate additional donations to help pay for the changes to the building,” says Morris, who notes that the organization has no paid staff. “We are 100 percent volunteers. We also depend on the 11 local churches that support us through donations and provide volunteers who assist our neighbors in selecting food items and then take the food out to the cars for them.”
Mr. Morris says they would love Spanish-speaking volunteers to help their neighbors who only speak Spanish and to make them feel more comfortable when seeking assistance. They are also looking for more board members who want to continue the good work.
Fishes & Loaves is open from 4 pm - 6:30 pm Monday and Thursday.
It Takes a Village
Through awareness and the generous, giving spirit of the community, The Highlands Food Pantry and Fishes & Loaves, as well as other organizations like them, can continue providing nutritious meals and other vital services to people and families across the plateau.
“I wish the world didn’t need nonprofits, but we fill a vital need in communities nationwide. And the brutal truth is that we cannot do that work without financial support from the communities we serve. So, anyone reading this–any individuals, businesses, civic organizations, etcetera–please consider giving to one of the many nonprofits on the plateau serving the needs of struggling men, women, and children,” says Mr. Smith.
Please visit these organizations online to learn more about their incredible work and how you can contribute to its continuation through donations or volunteerism.
