Teaching Scholars students help local fight against K-12 food insecurity

September 11, 2024

Students in the School of Education & Human Sciences' Teaching Scholars program rolled up their sleeves on Tuesday and packed enough food to fill more than 500 backpacks for Harnett County elementary and middle school students as part of their community outreach initiative.

Campbell University partnered with the Ethan Nicholas Foundation and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeastern North Carolina this week to provide meals and snacks for Harnett County's Buddy Backpack program, which serves K-12 schools throughout the county. Tuesday's work is one of three service projects required of Dr. Terri Hampton-Jones' Teaching Scholars students this semester.

"This one is important because food insecurity is a problem in our area, and these backpacks [filled with food] can go home with these children on weekends or during long school breaks," Hampton-Jones said. "Our students will also provide afternoon tutoring to elementary school students at Simply Girls [an after-school program for girls] in Dunn, so service to our community is an important part of our Teaching Scholars program."

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According to Kathy Jarman of Fayetteville-based Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeastern N.C., the organization that serves seven counties in the state relies heavily on volunteer work to make food drives, packing and deliveries possible.

"It's one thing to donate and provide for our children, but it's a lot of work to get bags packed and ready for the kids, too," Jarman said. "This is a great opportunity for these students, and it means a lot to us."

Tuesday's event was made possible by the Ethan Nicholas Foundation, founded by Erica Gonzalez to combat food insecurity in North Carolina rural communities. Gonzalez got to know Hampton-Jones through a reading program she led that involved one of her sons. Gonzalez said she began similar food drives back in 2017, often using money from her own pocket to help fund the initiative. Today, she relies heavily on grants, donor support and volunteers such as those who volunteered from Campbell Tuesday.

"When I moved to Harnett County, I realized there was a need for resources for children with special needs like my son [who lives with autism]," Gonzalez said. "Along the way, we say that food insecurity was a big problem locally, and we're just doing what we can to fight it."

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