Nourish
Greetings from the Chattanooga Area Food Bank Board Chair!
Thank you! For what?
For your dedication of time, talent, and treasure to help feed our hungry neighbors in the 20 counties across the Chattanooga Area Food Bank’s Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia footprint. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the help of our partner agencies, corporate partners, staff, army of volunteers, and very generous community.
Summer is a comin’! I know it’s hard to believe, because today, as I write this, we woke up to 30-degree weather, and tonight is officially the start of spring. Either way, as the seasons change, every summer still brings hungry bellies to fill. School is not in session, and there are many children and their families who rely on school meals to make ends meet during the week. How does the food bank make sure that still happens? Our Summer Bag program provides groceries to these families. Similar to our Sack Packs, these bundles of vital food help fill the gaps created during the summer holiday. For those of you that come out to help with this program, thank you! And if you’re looking for a place to spend some of those long days of summer, come join us. There are Summer Bags to pack and so much more. As John Heywood penned in 1546, “Many hands make light work!”
Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Lipski (klipski@chattfoodbank.org) to get involved.
Thank you, again! Your commitment helps our hungry neighbors who may not have enough food on their tables. You truly make a difference in their lives.
My best to you and yours,
Jennifer McIntyre Board ChairDid you know?
We’ve seen a 44% increase in child food insecurity since the pandemic, and there are an estimated 35,500 children at risk of food insecurity in our 20-county service area.
Our Cover Page
In March, we held a coloring contest at our Foxwood Food Center, and 9-year-old Franck of Chattanooga was the winner! Congrats, Franck!
When kids lose access to free school meals during the summer, it places unnecessary stress on hardworking families already juggling worries like summer childcare, increases in grocery costs, limited or no transportation access, and finding summer programs that provide nourishing food in their area.
SPOTLIGHTS
The KELCURT Foundation in Soddy-Daisy was founded by Kelly Flemings and Curtis Cecil in 2018. They started with a simple mission: offer free library access for SoddyDaisy residents. But they eventually branched into other areas, including hunger relief. The foundation now runs a library, a farm, and a community garden. In the last year, they have grown tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, pumpkins, green beans, broccoli, Dutch cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Once harvested, their fresh produce is sold, packaged into local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes, or donated to the local Soddy-Daisy Food Bank.
For the last six years, they have partnered with the local J.A. Henry Community YMCA to provide summer lunches for school-age children. The Mobile Fit Food & Fun program has become synonymous with the foundation.
“But the gap in the program is that the kids can’t take the food home,” said Kelly. To bridge this gap, KELCURT partnered with the Chattanooga Area Food Bank last summer to distribute summer Sack Packs alongside the YMCA lunches. “We’ve gotten calls and emails just thanking us for this program,” he said. They distributed 924 Sack Packs last year, and hope to distribute even more this summer.
Kelly said they have no shortage of projects on the horizon. Right now, they’re applying for a grant to establish an educational pollinator garden. More ambitious projects include food forests, a larger main building to house the library, a botanical garden and arboretum, a larger farm, an amphitheater, cabins, an event space, and a large piece of land on which to place it all.
Curtis said the KELCURT Foundation is all about “making the world one you want to live in.”
Every autumn since 2017, Elder’s Ace Hardware has organized the Scenic City Egg Fest to benefit the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. Net proceeds from the event are donated to help us end hunger, and to date, Elder’s has raised over $63,000 for our mission. We’re grateful for their support, partnership, and friendship across the years, and we can’t wait for the 2024 Egg Fest this October! corporate partner
Ray Crowe has been part of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank family for three years. He started as a picker fulfilling orders for our hunger relief partners, and now he’s Lead Picker at our Main Warehouse.
“I love the food bank environment,” he said. “Everyone is nice and professional. Everyone is very friendly.”
hunger relief partner employee
He also manages our fleet of vans, keeping them tidy and full of fuel. Outside of work, he dabbles in all types of sports, from cornhole to football to horseshoes. Ray is an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves, and he roots for the Oklahoma Sooners during college football season.
Thank you, Ray, for your years of service and hard work!
Pasta with Eggplant & Tomato
8 oz rigatoni (or similarly shaped pasta)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large eggplant, cubed salt, to taste
4 cloves garlic (or more to taste), finely chopped
1/2 tsp chili (or red pepper) flakes
2 cups finely diced canned tomatoes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese basil, chopped (optional) fresh black pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Heat a wide pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and let it get hot, though not smoking. Add eggplant and sprinkle with salt, cook until eggplant begins to brown (about 5 minutes). If the eggplant seems dry, add a small amount of water.
Once eggplant is browned on all sides, add garlic and chili flakes. Add tomatoes. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until eggplant shrinks and sauce thickens.
Add half the cheese and half the basil. Stir in cooked pasta and toss with eggplant mixture. Serve with remaining cheese and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
11 MAY 16 MAY 8 SEPT
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Nationwide Night of Gratitude Pierce Distribution Center
Summertime Sandwiches Food Drive Chattanooga,
Nooga Hunger Relief Walk/Run
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