Food insecurity is a growing problem in Orange County

Though most Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools students dread the return to early mornings and homework, those battling food insecurity look forward to the end of growling stomachs and the beginning of regular meals.

A person or child is classified as food insecure when they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. Food insecurity swells when school is not in session and school meals are not being served.

“(Children) know when they go to school they’re going to get a free or reduced breakfast or lunch,” said Chad Simpkins, lead pastor at Varsity Church. “You find many kids will go to school sick just so they can eat.”

When Simpkins moved to the Chapel Hill area four years ago, he and his family saw that food insecurity was the biggest issue facing many Orange County families.

Almost a quarter of the students in the district received free and reduced lunches last year, said Jeffrey Nash, spokesman for the district.

Ashton Chatham, the executive director of TABLE, an organization that fights food insecurity in Chapel Hill, said that number also represents the percentage of children in the community who struggle with food insecurity — and it’s higher than most people would expect.

Food goes fast

This summer, TABLE and Varsity Church partnered for a summer lunch program that served 200 Orange County children each week.

Chatham said they fed children seven days a week and served 8,367 pounds of food over the course of the summer.

TABLE will distribute food to students on weekends throughout the school year.

Simpkins said food insecurity programs for children depend on volunteers and donations from the church and other organizations.

“All summer, for nine weeks, we’ve had volunteers who’ve gone every single day to take that food to those kids,” he said.

The volunteers serve the children their meals and spend an hour with them, Simpkins said.

Chatham said the best way to help battle food insecurity is to donate time, supplies or money, or to join an organization like TABLE.

“Donating food is a huge huge help,” she said. “We have to keep our store room stocked — the food goes very fast.”

He also said the Varsity’s food program is only as effective as the supplies they have let them be.

Canned vegetables and meat, graham crackers, juice drinks, peanut butter, jelly and single-serve snacks are always needed for the summer and weekend programs, Simpkins said.

Simpkins said he and many others are dedicated to easing the burdens caused by food insecurity.

“I think what we’re trying to do is lower that number the best we can,” he said.

A bigger problem

Children aren’t alone in battling food insecurity.

The Inter-Faith Council hosts a community kitchen at 100 W. Rosemar y St. daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner that allows hungry residents to come get a warm meal.

“Hunger is a sad state of affairs,” said Lester Diggs , a homeless man living in Chapel Hill who frequents the kitchen events.

Diggs said he doesn’t have a family, but he struggles with finding his next meal like many others in the area.

“A place like the IFC building is just a blessing,” he said.

Charles Lark, who came to Chapel Hill after losing his job as a dining hall cook at North Carolina State University, said despite all of the help available in the area, he still goes hungry some nights.

“It feels bad to be hungry,” he said. “I love food so much.”

Lark, who carries a briefcase with him containing all of his reference letters from previous employers and contacts, said he is going to have a few more rough nights before things clear up — and before he can look forward to regular meals again.

“It’s hard to make it here in Chapel Hill,” he said. “It’s a tough road to travel.”

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