The Hunger & Health Coalition (HHC) in response to the current economic condition will now begin providing two food packages per month to client families with children.

This is an increase from the one food package per month, which has been the guideline for several years.

HHC executive director Compton Fortuna said the HHC has seen a surge in need from first-time families needing the service.

“The numbers of new clients we are working with is unprecedented. Many of these families are not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (formerly known as food stamps), or may not be eligible for this benefit provided by the state. These people are searching for work, struggling to keep a roof over their heads and feed their children. We felt that given the current circumstances, we needed to make more food available to families with children,” Fortuna said.

One in seven children in North Carolina lives in a household that is forced to reduce food intake, alter normal eating patterns, or go hungry because they lack the money or resources to obtain adequate food (www.ncchlild.org), according to Fortuna. Research has shown that even mild under-nutrition impacts children’s cognitive, physical and social development.

The effects of hunger are both immediate and long term: Hungry children have more illnesses, such as stomach aches, colds and ear infections, and in the longer term, hunger limits a child’s potential and results in lower test score, repeated grades as lower achievement (www.strength.org), she said.

The change in the amount of food available comes just in time for the summer months when children are no longer at school eating free or reduced breakfast and lunch, she said.

This means families must provide an extra 10 meals per week per child. This can be extremely difficult if families are already living week to week, Fortuna said. The HHC will be able to provide more food to local families in need.

In order to meet the need, the HHC will require more food for the Food Pantry. Because of a decreased supply from Second Harvest Food Bank, the HHC has had to purchase more food than ever before.

“We have experienced an increased demand at the same time as a decreased supply from traditional resources. We have had to establish new avenues for food purchases so that our shelves remain stocked,” she said.

Fortuna explained that the HHC can purchase a limited variety of products, which makes community food drives more important than ever.

“The donations we receive from the community help make food packages more nutritious and provide a wider selection of foods to give to families,” she said.

In addition to food packages from the Food Pantry, the HHC also provides fresh produce and bread through the market, prepared meals from the Food Recovery program, clothing and household items from the Pass It On program and Professional Dress Closet, healthy snacks for kids through the Snacks for Scholars and Healthy Start programs, and medication through the Pharmacy Assistance Program.

The Hunger and Health Coalition is a private, nonprofit 501©3 organization established in 1982, and has been actively serving the community for 27 years.

Each month, the Hunger and Health Coalition provides an average of 500 boxes of food, which feeds an average of 1,300 people. One in every three fed is a child under 18 years of age.

In addition, more than 2,000 meals are repackaged and distributed, and an average of 600 prescriptions are dispensed.

The Hunger and Health Coalition is a member of the High Country United Way.

For more information, contact the HHC at 828-262-1628 or email hungerc@bellsouth.net.