Nourish
This holiday season, we’re highlighting the incredible work of children in our communities: the mac ‘n’ cheese lovers, the hot chocolate vendors, the intrepid volunteers and foodgo-getters. The young leaders highlighted in this issue are only a handful of those working to end hunger in our area, from Northwest Georgia to Southeast Tennessee to the heart of Chattanooga.
John McAmis
Creative Lead
I hope you have as much fun reading this issue as we did putting it together.
Chattanooga Area Food Bank
Every year, Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and Venturing youth participate in Scouting for Food. Troops trek door-to-door in their communities, collecting donations for the food bank. “Scouts are to help other people at all times,” said Jared Pickens, Boy Scouts of America Cherokee Area Council CEO. “They are learning that they can personally have an impact on the lives of others.”
Last year, local Scouts gathered enough food to provide over 2,760 meals.
Established in 2016, Helping Hands Ending Hunger rescues good food from school cafeterias. The food, often supplemented with groceries ordered from the food bank, is distributed to families every week during the school year. The best part: It’s run by the students. They collect the food, manage the inventory, and pack the bags on Fridays. 136 schools in Georgia and 1 in Tennessee currently participate, and more
schools join every year.
Many schools hold Turkey Trains during the holiday season, collecting turkeys, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and other favorites so our neighbors have the opportunity to enjoy a big meal around the table. At St. Peter’s School in Chattanooga, the train is driven in style. The students form a long line and pass each item one by one from a big pile to one of the food bank’s trucks. The 5th graders handle organizing the food in the truck, and the last can is decked in a checkered flag and celebrated with a chant as it makes its way down the line.
For two years, sisters Anna and Audrey Cofer held food drives during Hixson’s Whoville celebration and collected 655 pounds for their neighbors in need. But last year, they did something a little different and sold hot chocolate to Whoville visitors, donating every cent of their hardearned proceeds to the food bank. The duo raised $1,115—enough funds to provide groceries for over 3,000 meals. The sisters will be selling again this year, so be sure to stop by and grab some cocoa during your Whoville tour!
“I have always loved mac ‘n’ cheese, and I want to channel the things I love into opportunities to help others,” said Mac Jackson. Since his first birthday, Mac has requested the cheesy golden dish instead of gifts and donated the boxes to the food bank. This year, Mac took the idea to his school, Chattanooga’s Center for Creative Arts, to encourage more kids to get involved. He purposefully held the drive after the holidays when donations of all types typically wane and collected hundreds of boxes of his beloved meal. Mac is planning another drive for February 2025. Are you a mac ‘n’ cheese fan, too? Donate a box in Mac’s honor!
Do you know a young leader who wants to get involved? We’re holding a kids-only fund drive! Participation is easy: Visit our Main Warehouse on 11/6 or 11/7 to receive a piggy bank and start collecting! Return the piggy bank during our Giving Tuesday telethon on 12/3, and we’ll announce the winner during Local 3’s 40th Annual Share Your Christmas event on 12/13. If you’re outside Hamilton County and can’t pick up a piggy bank or if you have questions about the campaign, please email our Development Coordinator, Jen Aten (jaten@ chattfoodbank.org), for more details. Piggy banks are available while supplies last.
The Battle Academy school garden is teeming with life. Students sow the seeds, tend to the crops, and reap the rewards. The fresh fruits, vegetables, and greens are transformed into delicious dishes in the school’s culinary lab. And the garden continues to grow. With a recent $3,000 grant from the Whole Kids Foundation, the school aims to start an annual plant sale for the end of the school year, doling out summer classics like tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers.
Over the past three-and-a-half years, McCallie School has served hundreds of hours at the Brainerd Community Food Pantry. Students, faculty, and staff collect turkeys during the holidays, assist with food distributions, provide translation services for guests, and donate funds. “Our community is committed to serving our most vulnerable neighbors with intention, compassion, and the understanding that for whom much is given, much is expected,” said Bess Steverson, Chairman of the BCFP Advisory Board.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon or orange zest
Cream butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy.
Whisk together flour, salt, and nutmeg. Add dries to butter mixture in two batches, mixing slowly and gently. Stop as soon as a cohesive dough forms.
Add cranberries and zest to dough and mix until berries are just incorporated. (Overmixing will result in a tough, pink cookie.)
Transfer dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use light pressure to form it into a log. Wrap tightly and chill for at least one hour.
November 07 November 09 November 25
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment.
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Cut cookies into 1/4 inch coins and arrange at least one inch apart on sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes in center of oven until cookies appear golden on the bottom.
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Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for a minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
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