CCM February 2024 Perspective Newsletter
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the full Strategic Plan<br />
<strong>CCM</strong>’S STRONG FOOD PROGRAM IS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.<br />
Cabarrus County is distinctive in having a long history of collaboration between non-profits, the faith<br />
community, and government agencies in helping members of the community in need. That legacy of<br />
partnerships continues today, and certainly is evident with the <strong>CCM</strong> Food Program.<br />
Our single most significant partner is the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHFBM) in Charlotte.<br />
About 75% of the food we receive comes directly or indirectly through them. Not only do we receive<br />
the USDA TEFAP food through them (160 tons of food a year!), but they also coordinate all the store<br />
“rescued” food we receive weekly (mostly perishables). Moreover, we are able to purchase bulk food at<br />
wholesale prices through them. They also provide the “backpack” food that we share with several area<br />
schools and all the food distributed through our mobile food pantries.<br />
The families who come to our Food Pantries receive lots of<br />
great fresh-from-the-farm (or garden) produce, because of our<br />
wonderful partnerships with organizations such as The Society<br />
of St. Andrew (SSA-the gleaners), the Lomax Research Farm,<br />
the YMCA’s Share the Harvest Farm, and the community gardens<br />
at Calvary Lutheran Church and Bethpage Presbyterian Church<br />
of Kannapolis. At this time of the year, clients have the option to<br />
receive frozen venison as a result of our partnerships with the<br />
Concord Wildlife Alliance and Farmers & Hunters Feeding the<br />
Hungry.<br />
Other partnerships help us to get food to those in need. About<br />
once or twice a month, we will provide a box of heart-healthy<br />
food for the Community Paramedics to deliver to someone in<br />
need who just got out of the hospital. Last year we piloted a<br />
program of assembling and distributing a box of healthy food<br />
and resources especially for expectant mothers. The Cabarrus<br />
SECOND<br />
HARVESTFOOD<br />
OF METROLINA<br />
PROVIDES<br />
<strong>CCM</strong> WITH<br />
75%<br />
OF OUR<br />
FOOD<br />
Health Alliance’s clinics, a couple of Atrium Health OB/GYN clinics, and the Gate Pregnancy Centers<br />
collaborated with us in distributing those boxes to pregnant women identified as being food insecure.<br />
Some partnerships work both ways. We have a relationship with Feeding Kannapolis Hunger (FKH), who<br />
in turn works with the Society of St. Andrew and the Piedmont Research Farm to bring pallets of fresh<br />
eggs into our community to be distributed through our pantries, the FKH bi-monthly food giveaways,<br />
and through other food pantries in our region. At the end of each Friday we share any leftover produce<br />
and bakery items with the food programs at St. James the Greater Catholic Church. They in turn will<br />
share with us a lot of excess non-perishables from their pantry. Also, a volunteer from St. James Catholic<br />
brings us rescued bakery items from Publix. Then we will give him #10 cans of veggies and other<br />
commercial-size food items (too large for our pantry families) to take to the Operation Homeless Soup<br />
Kitchen in Kannapolis.<br />
We are grateful to God for each of these relationships and how they help to get food into the homes<br />
of families in need. We appreciate greatly the collaborative nature of our community, and will continue<br />
working hard in fostering that atmosphere. One of our plans is to establish a Community Bulk Food<br />
Warehouse at the Brown Mill site, to provide a place for various partners to store pallets of food<br />
until needed.<br />
BANK