FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2017
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF METROLINA TO CARRY FORWARD THE BANNER OF LOCAL NONPROFIT, TOGETHER WE FEED, TO CARE FOR THE WHOLISTIC NEEDS OF HUNGRY STUDENTS
Charlotte, NC - Following the 2016-2017 school year, Together We Feed dissolved its 501(c)3 status and transferred ownership of its brand and programs to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHFB) to leverage its infrastructure and deep community connections to serve more children in select Title I schools.
“Earlier this spring, the Together We Feed Board of Directors voted to transition our programs gaining momentum to SHFBM and other local Charlotte organizations. We believe the infrastructure these organizations already have in place will assure more children receive proper nutrition, essential clothing needs and life skills they need for upward mobility,” said Together We Feed Board President, Todd Buelow.
SHFBM will continue taking the “one-school-at-a-time” approach that Together We Feed took to not only continue to deploy sponsored weekly back pack and mobile pantry food programs to students in 15 of Charlotte’s Title I schools, but will also adapt Together We Feed’s Sponsor A Child program and expand its community connection-building platform known as Fun Zones that accompany the SHFBM mobile pantries.
“We are always looking for ways to do more to help hungry children,” said Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. “Our board and staff are excited to help carry these programs forward, and we welcome the many community volunteers who have worked with Together We Feed the past three years to join us in continuing this work.”
Additionally, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will build upon the Together We Feed Work Together program. This program gives area businesses the opportunity to host up to 15 students from a Title I school for a day and introduce them to life inside a business, help them identify how their own strengths, interests and characteristics translate to the workplace and contribute to building social capital for them in the community. The Community Partnerships and Family Engagement Department will coordinate these experiences.
Lead Together We Feed sponsor, Hendrick Automotive Group and its dealerships have hosted dozens of Work Together events the past two years for students.
“Serving the community is part of our company’s culture,” said John Desmond, market area vice president for Hendrick Automotive Group. “Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina is a tremendous partner and the Work Together program is a terrific way for our teammates to participate in helping young people understand the value of school. It’s truly rewarding to see their faces light up when they realize how their backgrounds and experiences could have a positive impact on a real-life business environment.”
“Connecting with children is important work. It’s our hope that other area businesses will work through Second Harvest Food Bank and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to consider sponsoring these programs,” said Buelow. “Hendrick Automotive Group has been a tremendous sponsor and is always willing to open its doors to companies that want to see a Mobile Pantry Fun Zone or Work Together event in action before hosting one.”
To learn more about these programs, please contact:
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (www.secondharvestmetrolina.org/togetherwefeed) to learn how you can volunteer, donate or learn more about Sponsor A Child and Mobile Pantry Fun Zones.
LaTarzja Henry, Assistant Superintendent with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ Community Partnerships and Family Engagement team, at l.henry@cms.k12.nc.us to learn more about hosting a Work Together, donating to a student Critical Needs fund, or supporting parent education through the CMS F.I.T. program.
Christine Eubanks, Senior Director with Hendrick Automotive Group’s Corporate Outreach Initiatives, at christine.eubanks@hendrickauto.com to visit a Hendrick sponsored Work Together or Mobile Pantry.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
As part of Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina - serves 19 counties in North and South Carolina. In FY2015-2016, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 50 million pounds of food and household items to more than 700 hunger feeding agencies including emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycares.
About Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is a nationally recognized, county-wide school district. Serving more than 147,000 students in grades Pre-K through 12, 18,000 CMS employees guide all students to become globally competitive. Together, educators, staff and students have earned CMS widespread acclaim as one of America’s best school districts.
About Together We Feed
Together We Feed aligns community resources to meet basic physical needs such as hunger and clothing, so we can move children toward better social and emotional health and ultimately bring them to a place of embracing developmental opportunities.
About Hendrick Automotive Group
Encompassing 100 dealerships from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its dealerships, collision centers and accessories distributor installers in 14 states. For more information, please visit
www.HendrickAuto.com.
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To request a media kit or photos please contact:
Donna Ragan at (704) 375-9639, EXT. 11 or dragan@secondharvest.org
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina's Marketing & Communications Manager