CCM February 2021 Perspective

FEBRUARY 2021
PERSPECTIVE
FROM THE FRONTLINES
From Our Executive Director, Ed Hosack
HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY
In March of 2020 I asked three
local experts - pediatricians and
pediatric specialists - to help me
establish a clear understanding
of hunger and food insecurity
among our community’s
children. Here are a few of
their answers to the following
questions.
QUESTION #1
Please provide, in your words, a
“working definition” of both hunger and food insecurity
that helps the lay person understand how it presents
itself in the lives of children?
ANSWER: In lay terms, you could say hunger in children
means they aren't getting the calories and/or nutrients
that allow their bodies (including brains) to grow and
develop as they should. This affects all body systems
and can affect learning and behavior. Food insecurity
has similar consequences with the added harm of stress
in the household which spills over into many aspects of
children's lives.
— TEXTBOOK DEFINITIONS —
Hunger: exists when caloric intake is below the
minimum dietary energy requirement; the amount of
energy needed to perform light activity and to maintain
a minimum acceptable weight for attained height.
Food Insecurity: occurs when people are at risk, or
worried about, not being able to meet their preferences
for food, including in terms of raw calories and
nutritional value. Food insecurity quite often results in
simultaneous stunted growth for children, and obesity
for adults.
continued »

HUNGER, cont.
QUESTION #2
Please share insights how food insecurity affects
children in the home.
ANSWER: Food Insecurity becomes a significant
part of the toxic stress that families are trying to
cope with. It can manifest itself in children in many
ways:
» Behavioral/Developmental—sense of anxiety,
irritability, high-stress
» Social—due to the anxiety can be defensive,
unengaged with peers
» Physical—there is a greater risk of chronic diseases
in these children. The choice of nutrients when
food insecure is often off- balance from what
is healthy. Increased risk of underweight and or
obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia,
higher risk of illness and hospitalization
Second Harvest Food
Bank reports:
1 in 5 children in
Cabarrus County
live in a food
insecure home.
QUESTION #3
Do you believe hunger exists in Cabarrus County?
ANSWER 1: Absolutely. I have worked as a general
pediatrician in Cabarrus County for 13 years. I have
seen children that are not growing due to lack of
nutrition in the home intermittently during these
years. However, more often, I have been concerned
about the nutrients in those calories rather than the
absolute amount of calories a child takes in in order
to grow. (common example – calories from only milk
and ramen noodles versus protein, vegetables and
fruit).
ANSWER 2: Yes, it does exist in Cabarrus County.
Since 2015 we have had the honor and opportunity
to work closely with multiple schools (elementary/
middle and some high schools) and witnessed
first-hand the hunger and food insecurity that these
children undergo when they are out of school. For
some of them, their secure food is offered thru
school attendance for breakfast and lunch. Dinner
and weekend food are a struggle for a lot of these
children. On average, about 30-40% of the schools’
children experience food insecurity and therefore
hunger on a regular basis.
QUESTION #4
Any comments you wish to share regarding
addressing these issues in our community?
ANSWER 1: Raising the awareness is important.
Connecting the families to the services or their
options is even more important. Breaking the cycle
of negative events that led to a child being food
insecure is the harder challenge.
ANSWER 2: Yes, Hunger and food insecurity is a
problem that belongs to all of us, it affects all of us
in one way or another therefore is a problem that
we all need to work together in order to be able to
achieve a solution.
I met recently with a management group of a
large employer in Cabarrus County to discuss food
insecurity. The company recently surveyed its
employees to assess overall conditions at this point
of the pandemic. They were surprised to learn a
considerable number of their employees indicated
a significant challenge with food insecurity in their
homes.
The reality of food insecurity is - it most often is a
symptom of greater financial challenges within the
home. To their credit, this employer has asked CCM
and our partners in the community to help them
better understand and resolve these challenges for
their employee families.
There are unique characteristics of this COVID-19
crisis that have presented real challenges to working
families. How much more so for the households
who have lost employment and are facing an
overwhelming challenge to feed their families and
provide housing stability?
Cooperative Christian Ministry's priorities include
addressing hunger and food insecurity for:
»Families in housing crisis
»Children during those 0-5 development years
»Working adults in transition
»Senior citizens struggling to remain independent
There is much work to be done and innovative
solutions to be found. Please join us.
"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them...
God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."
— I John 4:16, NIV

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way,
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging."
— Psalm 46:1-3
From Our Director Of Community Engagement,
Jeremy Burleson
+ 20 % More Served
Individuals Served – CCM served 32,311 individuals
DID YOU KNOW?
in 2020, up 20% from the prior year.
As CCM strives to transform
the lives of those in
Pounds of Food
our community facing
353,740
insecurities day in and
RECEIVED
day out, we remain true to Donations Received – Community food donations
exemplifying God’s love totaled 353,740 pounds (a 40% increase from
for us throughout those 2019), and faith community donations alone were
endeavors.
UP 22%... both remarkable statistics!
Our Food Program, a
Pounds of Food
backbone ministry for CCM
1,267,928
led by Kris Edscorn, experienced the greatness of
DISTRIBUTED
God’s faithfulness over the past year. To give God
the glory He so deserves, but also to highlight the Total Pounds Distributed – CCM’s entire food
remarkable year of our food ministry and how YOUR program (includes pantries, mobile food pantries,
GENEROSITY made it happen, here are several backpack programs, etc.) distributed 1,267,928
year-end accomplishments Kris captured that are pounds of food in 2020, nearly a 4% increase from
certainly worth mentioning:
the 2019 total.
As we recognize and celebrate God’s provision, we
are especially grateful considering the overall reach
+ 7.5 % Increase in Client Visits and respective percentage increases all occurred
CCM saw an increase of 7.5% in client visits to our
while we, as a community, experienced the impact
Crisis Center in 2020, representing nearly 8,800
of a worldwide pandemic. Only God…Only God
total visits.
shows up this way in times of uncertainty!
Thank you to the Cabarrus County
Community Foundation for supporting
CCM through A $15,000 GRANT! Their
support will empower previously homeless
families to achieve independence and
unlock their lives’ potential.

The Boy Scout Food Drive
“Scouting for Food”, is one
of the biggest drives of
the year benefitting CCM.
Last year’s drive collected
nearly 10,000 lbs. The
Scouts distributed bags to
neighborhoods on Saturday, and will return to pick
up the donations this Saturday morning, February
6th. All food collected by Kannapolis and Concord
scouts will be delivered to CCM.
SAMARITAN’S TABLE
Did you know that an evening meal is provided and
served by a variety of Kannapolis area churches,
businesses, and civic organizations throughout the
week? All are welcome. No questions are asked and
no forms to fill out. You and your family are invited
to join us for a free take-out meal from 5-5:30 p.m.
For locations, visit: cooperativeministry.com.
Our biggest needs right now are for
peanut butter, soup, and cereal.
If the scouts did not bring bags to your
neighborhood, you are welcome to still take part.
Simply bring your donations to the CCM Crisis
Center (246 Country Club Dr. NE, Concord)
THIS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6
BETWEEN 11:00 AND 1:00.
For information about helping to provide and serve
suppers at a Samaritan’s Table site on a monthly or
quarterly basis, please contact:
Kris Edscorn, Food Program Manager
kedscorn@cooperativeministry.com – 704-706-9897
FEB 2020
Thank You!
Thank you, Atrium Health-Cabarrus and Sodexo USA for helping us fight food insecurity!
246 Country Club Drive NE, PO Box 1717
Concord, NC 28026 TEL: 704-786-4709
GIVE ONLINE: www.CooperativeMinistry.com or TEXT: ccmhelps to 44321