CHATTANOOGA – On October 14, 2015 the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Food Bank) received an entire truckload—44,000 pounds in total—of rice from a farmer in Texas. This donation was organized and underwritten by a generous local individual who believes that everyone in the Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia region should have access to the healthy diet staple.
The farmer donated the production of seven acres of prime flooded rice land and then harvested and delivered the crop to a processor who dried, milled, and bagged the rice. The rice was then delivered in 20lb bags at cost by tractor trailer to Chattanooga. Over the duration of six months, hundreds of volunteers including local students, corporate teams, and families repackaged the commodity product into both one and five pound containers. The rice was then redistributed through Food Bank mobile pantries and local hunger relief organizations to thousands of area children, seniors, and families.
“We’re so grateful for wonderful community partners who recognize specific needs here at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. This generous donation of rice has allowed us to provide families in our region with one of the most basic dietary staples. In addition, it’s been a fantastic teaching tool as so many of our volunteers have learned about families in need through the opportunity to repack rice,” said Marisa Ogles, Chattanooga Area Food Bank Director of External Relations.
Thousands of area residents have benefitted from the charitable rice donation. Since it arrived, rice has been distributed to families through our direct to client mobile pantries and our Food Bank agency partner organizations. Morton Memorial UMC Food Ministry (Food Ministry), a longstanding partner of the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, is one of the agencies who have benefitted from the rice. The Food Ministry annually distributes more rice to its clients than any other Food Bank partner. Located on the border of Marion and Grundy counties, Morton Memorial UMC Food Ministry serves residents who are among the poorest in the state of Tennessee, as measured by U.S. Census data. Feeding America research estimates that 18% of Grundy County residents are considered food insecure, meaning they don’t know where their next meal will come from.
The Food Ministry is committed to providing food to its clients that not only meets caloric needs, but also provides nutritional benefits. And rice plays a huge role in those efforts. Last year, the organization distributed over 3,000 pounds of rice to its clients. “We truly appreciate all the volunteer hours that have gone into repacking bulk rice at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. We’re grateful for their efforts to ensure that rice is repackaged and ready to go to the 150 families that we walk with on a monthly basis,” said Amy Wilson, Director of Morton Memorial UMC Food Ministry.
Over a hundred Food Bank volunteers have spent time repacking rice into one pound containers for redistribution to area residents. Among the teams who have spent time repackaging rice: Kenco Group, Walmart Superstores, South Cumberland Plateau Americorps VISTA Project, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee and more. All rice repacking has been done in a food safe environment with processes that align with USDA guidelines.
“My daughter and I volunteered packaging rice at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. It was a great bonding experience. Opportunities such as this instill great values in our youth. After learning about people in our own community who don’t have access to such a basic food item, we were grateful to make a big impact in the lives of our others through such a simple task,” said Amanda Krause-Webster, a Kenco Group volunteer.
Over the past three years, the Food Bank has aggressively increased its commitment to promoting better nutrition throughout its 20-county service area. With more than 15 vitamins and minerals and beneficial antioxidants, rice plays an important role in maintaining food security for Food Bank clients. Last year alone, the Food Bank purchased over 60,000 pounds of rice at a discounted rate and redistributed it. This year, by way of the generous donation, the Food Bank was able to reallocate those funds to other critical hunger relief efforts.
Rice is the most consumed commodity in the world and is a basic staple in many Food Bank clients’ diets. Research from USA Rice Federation reveals that consumption of rice in the USA has grown over the past few years. From 2013 to 2014, Americans consumed 26 pounds of rice per capita, a one-pound increase over the prior year.
Recognizing the need for food security in the region, the local individual, who prefers to remain anonymous, generously purchased rice on behalf of Food Bank clients. Rice offers not only the calories required for food security, but also the nutrients necessary for maintaining optimal health.
Founded in 1982, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank (CAFB) is committed to leading a network of partners in eliminating hunger and promoting better nutrition in our region. The CAFB acquires and distributes healthy food across a 20-county service region including Tennessee and Northwest Georgia with help from its network of over 300 partner agencies. Last year alone, the CAFB distributed over 13.7 million pounds and served over 25,000 people each week. In addition to food provision, the CAFB works to engage the public in the fight to end hunger and empower people to take responsibility for their health and their lives.
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