Nourishing Empty Stomachs With Change to Spare

By: Emma DeMartino and Chadwick Dunefsky

     As I walked through the Pit, I braced myself. Every day, the aroma of food wafted out of Lenoir’s doors and into the brick courtyard. My empty stomach lurched with each whiff, begging to be fed. I couldn’t help but stare at the green to-go boxes that the students left with, noticing that they were filled with macaroni and cheese and other goodies. Macaroni and cheese? That’s my favorite! My stomach did a somersault. I chastised myself at such decadent thoughts, ten dollars per meal is far from what I could afford. However, Wednesday was different. The smell of food did fill the air but it was being served right in the Pit by Nourish’s Hunger Lunch. Rice, beans, and cornbread were being scooped onto paper plates, and all for the small price of four dollars. I rummaged my wallet and my heart stopped when I found enough to afford one plate. I ran over with only one thought: I get to eat a fulfilling meal today.

     Nourish UNC is a student organization that starts small-scale business ventures in which the profits are used to create developmental projects in different communities. Originally starting in our own university in 2003, Nourish has since spread to 45 different campuses and leads service trips worldwide. This past summer, UNC’s Nourish partnered with “Mountains of Hope”, a non profit NGO in Uganda. Students visited the African country to educate the community about female hygiene. Nourish emphasizes the importance of “local service, global impact.”

     “We are shifting to a more domestic focus, social justice starts in our own community,” says Abbie Largess, Hunger Lunch volunteer and Nourish’s Evaluations Director. Every Wednesday in the Pit, Nourish holds an event called “Hunger Lunch”, which provides students access to affordable meals that also make a difference. The four dollars goes to fund Nourish’s global projects every summer like their trip to Uganda. Their overall goal is to end social and economic inequality worldwide. While this idea kind of seems like a daunting task, Nourish is supported by both its volunteers and the campus community that visits every Wednesday. One business that supports Nourish through their Hunger Lunch venture is Roots, a local bistro on Franklin Street. Roots has generously been catering Hunger Lunch for the past year to show their support for the cause.

     “Wednesdays are my favorite day of the week because of Hunger Lunch,” Abbie admits. And by looking around, I could tell that she wasn’t the only one who felt this way. The three volunteers were radiating with passion, engaging with all who took interest in their cause. Students and community members alike were relishing the steaming plate of rice and beans and chatting amongst themselves. This lunch may have been the first real meal someone has had all week. But it does not have to be the last. But it does not have to be the last. Hunger Lunch is a reminder that hunger is real and that a growling stomach does not stop growling.  

Photography: Grace Hildebrand and Matthew Gibson

Gather ‘Round the Table

By: Bailey McNeill

   

     It was as if the sun broke through the week’s gloom just for Table’s fifth annual Empty Bowls event that Sunday. Shining with clarity in the midst of a Carolina blue sky, it illuminated the yellowing leaves still clinging to the trees and dispelled the chill in the air. When I arrived at Weaver Street Market close to the event’s start at about 4 p.m., I was pleasantly surprised to see a line already snaking out of the food tent. Even more people were poring over the vast selection of locally made pottery, craning their necks to inspect each unique piece. A mother guided her young son to pick out his favorite, and the couple next to me stalled with indecision over which ones to choose. It was undeniably a hard choice; each bowl was beautifully made and possessed its own character. Local artists had donated the handmade pottery to the event, which was sold in conjunction with the food tickets. There was even a potter at the event making another bowl.

     After making their selection, the attendees were guided to the line for the food tent, where the rich aromas made the wait all the more tantalizing. Smiling volunteers spooned out bowl after bowl of soup, which included butternut bisque, roasted red pepper, tomato bisque, spiced carrot, and Indian curried squash. Attendees got to pair their bread of choice with soup and choose from a variety of desserts. After making my selection, I made my way to the seating in front of the band to enjoy Guilty Pleasures’ folksy bluegrass. Other adult attendees spread out at the brown-paper covered tables, idly doodling with crayons or sipping on an IPA from inside the market. Kids gleefully dashed between tables and chairs, and dogs with their tongues out lazily, sprawled out on the ground.

     The event sold out as hundreds of locals from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community came out to “Give Local. Feed Local,” as Table’s motto pronounces. The non-profit helps feed hungry children in the area, and the ticketed Empty Bowls event helped to promote their mission by providing funds for more meals for schoolchildren. Most importantly, though, the empty pottery bowls literally served as a reminder of the empty stomachs in our community. Thirty percent of children in the area rely on school meal programs for lunch, and four out of five teachers report children in their classroom coming to school hungry. I spoke with Anita Kinney, the MC for the event, and she recalled her personal experience with childhood hunger and emphasized the importance of Table’s work. Their goal is to raise $50,000 to consistently feed 625 kids year round. Table primarily helps feed children through their weekend meal backpack program for those who rely on school meals during the week, but they also provide food during the summer, teach children how to make healthy snacks, and educate kids on the importance of eating healthily.

     I was thankful to enjoy a hearty, well-rounded meal that day, and I know that the contrast with the issue of hunger in our community was intentional. Though our bowls were full that day, there is still an empty bowl at another table. It’s up to us as a community to show out as we did at the event–banding together as chefs, volunteers, artists,  supporters, and so much more–to tackle child hunger. The whole community contributed that day, but our work is not over yet.

 

Photographer: Hannah Dismuke, Abigail Turner