NC Pork Industry and NC Food Banks Partner to Fight Childhood Hunger

RALEIGH, NC, April 7, 2011

The North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC) and the North Carolina Association of Feeding America Food Banks today announced the kickoff of a campaign, The Food Effect, designed to fight childhood hunger in North Carolina. This is a problem that researchers say has reached epidemic proportions in the state.

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, Speaker of the House Thom Tillis, Senator Martin Nesbitt and Representatives Joe Hackney and Paul Stam participated in a news conference today and announced their support for this initiative.

The Food Effect is an Internet-based campaign, driven by an online network designed to unite people in the fight against childhood hunger and the negative impact it can have on childhood development.

The campaign is in reaction to continuing reports of a food shortage crisis for many low-income families in North Carolina. According to a 2010 Feeding America study, North Carolina is tied with Louisiana for the highest percentage of hungry children – one in four – under age five.

Deborah Johnson, chief executive officer of the NCPC, commented, "Our industry is in a unique position to help drive this campaign. After all, our state’s pork industry produces a high-quality, low-cost, nutritious source of protein that helps feed the world."

Sen. Berger commented, "The two sponsoring organizations represent private enterprise and the non-profit community joining together to help solve a problem that threatens hundreds of thousands of our youngest and most vulnerable residents."

The Food Effect is using a website (TheFoodEffect.org) to enable people to give money or time to the food bank in their area. The site will be complemented by Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheFoodEffect) and Twitter (@TheFoodEffect) pages. North Carolina has seven regional food bank organizations operating under the Feeding America banner.

Speaker Tillis said, “We applaud the efforts of the pork industry and the more than 46,000 people it employs for joining with the food banks in this effort.”

During 2010, North Carolina’s food banks distributed more than 100 million pounds of nutritious food and other grocery products to more than 1,434,000 different North Carolinians.

Alan Briggs, executive director of the N.C. Association of Feeding America Food Banks, said, "We have been fortunate to be generously supported in North Carolina. However, the hunger problem is growing exponentially in a time when resources are under great strain."

Working as a statewide coalition, members of The Food Effect will attempt to communicate with anyone showing interest in the issue, including relevant organizations' memberships, church members, students, members of Congress, state legislators and the media.

"The goals for The Food Effect are simple, yet loaded with potential," according to Johnson. She added, "We are determined to raise awareness about childhood hunger in North Carolina, raise much needed funds for the food banks and build a social network of North Carolinians committed to the effort."

For media inquiries or more information about The Food Effect, contact Robyn Mooring at 919-302-0259 or via email at RKMproductions@nc.rr.com.