Phi Beta Lambda

2015-2016

Community Service Project

“The Harvest Alliance”

North Carolina

Central Carolina Community College

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Project Overview 2

Purpose of Project 3

Statement of Project Goals 4

Service to Community and its Citizens 5

Planning and Development of Project 7

Planning 7

Development 8

Implementation of Project 10

Benefits to and Impact on the Community 12

Impact on the Community 12

Benefits to the Participants 13

Evidence of Publicity 14

Conclusion 15

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THE HARVEST ALLIANCE

The 2015-2016 Community Service Project, “The Harvest Alliance,” continued

the tradition of the Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) chapter at Central Carolina Community

College (CCCC) in their efforts to support the local community in the three counties the

college services by supporting local organizations that strive to prevent hunger. It is an

opportunity to foster a commitment to our local partners and the Central & Eastern

Region Food Back of North Carolina. The chapter established this community service

project to give its members the opportunity to demonstrate to the community that they are

the leaders of tomorrow.

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PURPOSE OF PROJECT

The Harvest Alliance was created in partnership with local and regional services

that provide food for people in need, within the counties of Chatham, Harnett, and Lee of

NC. The chapter looks to foster the drive of its members and to recognize, nurture, and

support profoundly intelligent young people and to provide opportunities for them to

develop their talents to make a positive difference. The continuing partnership with the

Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and Christian United Outreach Center

(CUOC) has provided an opportunity for our members to accomplish these goals as well

as creating a learning environment to develop growth for the members. The chapter’s

main goal was to support and implement their mission to harness and supply resources so

that no individual goes hungry in central and eastern North Carolina.

Since its founding, the Food Bank has expanded services in an attempt to keep

pace with the vast growing demand for emergency food. They are now in the process of

distributing more than 236 million pounds food. Last year alone, the Food Bank of

Central & Eastern North Carolina distributed 52.72 million pounds of food consisting of

160,000 pounds daily. This year the need for food will increase by an estimate of 170,000

pounds of food per day. This is not only a growing concern for CCCC’s communities but

also for the other communities of central and eastern NC.

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Statement of Project Goals

The Central Carolina Community College’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda believes

in community service, therefore, CCCC PBL created specific goals for this community

service project such as:

To obtain a lifetime commitment to community involvement as an integral part of a

satisfying life

To nurture a sense of social responsibility and community citizenship

To elicit reflective, empathic and sensitive personal responses to the needs and

experiences of others

To help students develop self-esteem and self-reliance through substantive

responsibility and committed work ethic

To cultivate an awareness of human circumstances and differences that extends

beyond the student's typical classroom or home experience

To increase understanding of issues pertinent to the community in which they live

To encourage the development of a partnerships with other agencies in the

community

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Service to Community and its Citizens:

While a sizable portion of low-income households and individuals adopt cost-

saving practices such as buying products when they are on sale and buying products in

bulk, many find it necessary to rely on an extensive network of public and private

emergency food providers in order to maintain an adequate food supply. In particular,

throughout the United States, food pantries, emergency kitchens, and homeless shelters

play a critical role in meeting the nutritional needs of America’s low-income population.

By providing people who need assistance with food for home preparation (pantries) and

with prepared food that can be eaten at the agencies (kitchens and shelters), these

organizations help meet the needs of people and households that otherwise, in many

instances, would lack sufficient food.

Within this system, a number of different types of charitable organizations and

programs provide food, directly or indirectly, to needy clients. However, there is no

uniform use of terms identifying the essential nature of the organizations. Hunger relief

organizations are usually grass root responses to local needs that rely mainly on

volunteers to help facilitate their mission. In response to their need the chapter partnered

with Chatham Out Reach Alliance (CORA), Harnett Food Pantry, and Christians United

Outreach Center of Lee County (COUCLC) in effort to bring fresh food to these pantries

from local farms.

The members has provided assistance to these organizations since 2012. With the

main focus surrounding the food bank “Farm to Table” program. Traditionally food

banks have gathered mostly leftover or damaged boxes and cans from supermarkets, food

processors and other mass distributors and then passed along those products to the most

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needy and hungry in our community. Farm to Food Bank aims to bring local farm

produce to the local pantries. Our chapter helps to connect community Food Banks with

fresh, locally-grown produce from local farms.

Chatham:

Harnett:

Lee:

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PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECT

Planning:

The Harvest Alliance Committee met at the beginning of the semester to once

again plan for the upcoming fall project. The primary focus of the first meeting was to

review several factors before the chapter could prepare to setup for the fall harvest. The

first was to identify areas where improvement could be made from the year prior. The

next was to look what returning resources were available with the main resource being

chapter members who participated last year. The final factor was to look at new ways to

expand and reach more people in the community. Once these factors were taking into

account the chapter created a schedule for initial

meetings with members and partnering organizations.

Again the committee needed to revisit prior year

questions: “Where can our chapter help to fill the

biggest need?” and “What is the greatest resource the chapter can provide?” helped to

create a blueprint for the chapter to follow.

The chapter strives to provide assistance wherever it can and once again called on

all members to participate. The chapter success has always been supported by 100%

support of the membership. Involvement in planning, on campus logistics, collection

days, and post event breakdowns.

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Development:

Next Phi Beta Lambda presented to the Student Government Association a plan

that called for the assistance of every member of the SGA to respond and to help the

chapter in its efforts to provide assistance and support to the community. Phi Beta

Lambda recognized that the responsibility was to help all three counties the college

serviced.

After clubs within the college and outside organizations had committed to the

alliance it was time to establish dates for the upcoming harvest times and create schedules

that would allow each group to maximize its participation. The local pantries would also

need to create collection schedules to gather what was

picked and for delivery to their locations. A new

opportunity for participation this year would provide

volunteer opportunity for members of PBL and other

organizations to help in receiving at the local food pantries. These duties would include

washing, sorting, and boxing for going out to those that were in need. The committee

helped to establish a full supply chain from start to finish in implementing the project.

The idea is simple. Local community volunteers assist in connecting local farmers

with local food banks. Volunteers then contact local area food banks and find out what

specific needs they have for farm produce, along with care and cool storage of produce.

Volunteer packers and shippers collect and transport truckloads of donated fresh produce

from local farmers, neighborhood community gardens, and supermarkets. Demand for

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fresh produce has hit food banks across our nation, specifically local community food

banks.

The first stage of the service project starts with a local vineyard where members

meet over four weeks in the month of September. This stage is called “The Grape

Escape”. The Second Stage is called Mustard Madness where a continuing partnership at

Griffin’s Farm provides an opportunity for volunteers to come pick mustard greens, kale,

and turnips during the latter part of September through October. The third stage which

was newly added this fall was called November Sweetness. The chapter contacted a local

farm who was willing to donate a large amount of Sweet Potatoes.

The shift toward healthy farm food is a product of necessity. The food industry

has become more efficient, squeezing the traditional supply of surplus can and box food.

Fresh food offers a big, new food supply. There's an almost unlimited supply of produce

that's not being adequately distributed and usually goes to waste from local farms. That's

where the Harvest Alliance comes in. Our goal is to assist local food pantries by

establishing a volunteer local community based project for organizing seasonal pickups

from local farmers and supplying local food pantries with nutritional produce for low

income and homeless families.

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IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT

The Grape Escape would begin in September and groups would meet every

Thursday afternoon at the vineyard led by chapter members. Members would meet on the

campus and carpool over to the vineyard. There they would join up with other groups

scheduled for the day. A truck would arrive from the local food pantries with containers

for collection. Once the grapes were picked and containers were full they would be

loaded up in the truck. Each Thursday over 2500 pounds of grapes were picked. From

there the truck would return to a local food pantry. Several members would meet there to

help unload, wash, and sort the grapes.

Mustard Madness began on Tuesday September 22nd. The event ran for every

Tuesday for seven consecutive weeks. The

schedule would run the same as grape picking.

The truck would arrive from one of the local

food pantries and members would begin

collecting mustard greens, turnips, and this

year kale was added to the collections. Once the containers were full they would be

transported to the panty where members would meet to help in the distribution of the

food collected. A full truck would contain close to 200 trays of produce.

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The list below contains dates in which the chapter participated in and the other groups

that participated:

The Grape Escape:

Sept. 3rd

, 2015 Lee Senior HS, DECA

Sept. 10th

, 2015 Southern Lee HS, DECA

Sept. 17th

, 2015 St. Stephens Youth Mission Group

Sept. 24th

, 2015 Red Cross Club, CCCC

Mustard Madness:

Sept. 22nd

, 2015 Northwood HS, FBLA

Sept. 29th

, 2015 Western Harnett HS, FBLA

Oct. 6th

, 2015 Gaming Club, CCCC

Oct. 13th

, 2015 Broadcasting Club, CCCC

Oct. 20th

, 2015 Lee Senior HS, FFA

Oct. 27th

, 2015 PTK-Phi Theta Kappa, CCCC

Nov. 3rd

, 2015 Student Government Officers, CCCC

The final stage November Sweetness was on November 19th

, 2015 with members

gathering at the food pantry to help unload the sweet potatoes and sort. This was to

ensure which ones could be used for distribution and determine how they would be

allocated. Some would distributed to packages going out to families while many would

be distributed to local churches and kitchens providing free Thanksgiving Day meals.

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IMPACTS AND BENEFITS TO COMMUNITY

Impact to the Community:

The community learned that the Phi Beta Lambda chapter at Central Carolina

Community College is here to help stop hunger. The bridges that were built within the

community will help Phi Beta Lambda be recognized as an organization that is here not

only for its members, but also for the community in which we live. The combined efforts

of the members of the chapter to reach out to the community and show our determination

and the skills that we have applied, can greatly impact the growth and success in our

community.

This year again saw more growth in the alliance as another local farm participated

and November Sweetness was created. All three stages for the alliance has helped bring

together members in the community to help support the local pantries. Over the last few

years the Food Bank has been able to distribute millions of pounds of fresh, local produce

because of the generosity of local farmers and retailers. Last year alone 16.5 million

pounds of fresh produce was provided to families in need, and our chapter has helped in

reaching that number once again.

The Food Bank is now providing emergency food for an estimated 59,200

different people in any given week across our service area. Additionally:

Half of those served by the Food Bank are children and seniors

32% of people served have post-high school education

45% of households include at least one adult who has been employed within the last year

21% of households include grandparents who have responsibility for grandchildren

77% of households report having to choose between paying for medicine or groceries

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Benefit to the Community:

For years more than tens of thousands of people living at or below the poverty

line in our service area, earning an annual income of $23,283 or less for a family of four.

We’ve also heard about the families and individuals that hover right above that line who

also rely on local food pantries and the food bank. Food insecurity is the state of being

unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for an

active and healthy life. That households served by the local pantries experience limited or

uncertain access to food, at times unsure of where they will find their next meal. Our

chapter believes it has an obligation to those in need in our community.

Because hunger has grown into an epidemic, more prevalent than ever and

affecting more than just the families living at or below the poverty line. Food insecurity

has now emerged as a defined reality for hundreds of thousands of hard working

Americans who still cannot keep food on the table. Our members see it on a regular basis

with their families, friends, and peers. They understand the hardships faced by those in

our community and believe their efforts can help slow down the epidemic.

Members believe in social responsibility as a prerequisite to becoming a future

leader. The members believe and are confident that they helped to achieve goals that

were beneficial to all those that the alliance supports. Through their efforts to help

support the community a confidence was instilled that created a sense of pride. This

confidence helped to fuel the project that was a crucial stepping stone in the overall

success for stocking the pantries. It has created a self-assurance that they can respond

above and beyond when necessary.

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EVIDENCE OF PUBLICITY

The chapter has a strong relationship with the broadcasting department which

operates two radio stations and a local cable station. Utilizing all resources the

chapter used the stations to promote the project by creating public service

announcements. The announcements were used to promote upcoming dates and

to generate support of other organizations to join the cause. They also highlighted those

participating.

The chapter also received publicity in local newspapers in all three counties.

Interviews were done with chapter officers and members as well photographs taken at

site locations. Post event articles were generated to

demonstrate success of the project with goals of generating

more interest in the future to help recruit new partners to join

the cause. WDCC, 90.5 FM and WUAW, 88.3 FM were utilized throughout the project.

Recordings of the Grape Escape, Mustard Madness and November

Sweetness were played on the air and made available for later viewing

through the video vault.

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CONCLUSION

The “Harvest Alliance” is much more than just a community service project. It is

a call to duty and allegiance from members of Phi Beta Lambda. It demonstrated their

desire to help their community in a time that many find themselves looking for their next

meal. The team work that provided assistance to the community helped to create a sense

of comfort to those in need. It showed a willingness to provide a service that would

eventually help many to overcome food insecurity. For our community to grow and

overcome hunger a strong foundation needs to be created with a goal of stopping hunger.

The chapter is now a pillar in that foundation. Phi Beta Lambda is grateful for the

opportunity to provide aide and assistance to families in the three counties the college

services and for the relationships it forged within the community.