WS Chronicle

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

On a day when many of us  gathered with family and neighbors around tables piled high with food in celebration of the July 4th holiday, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC’s Chuck Harmon set off on a 250-mile-long “Hike to End Summer Hunger.” Harmon trained for several weeks at walk events hosted by school groups, apartment communities, local businesses and others. Along the way, Harmon collected thousands of pounds of food and thousands of dollars to support Second Harvest Food Bank and its partners working to fill the summer meal gap for kids. And he’s just getting started.

Harmon set a goal to raise $3 from 100,000 people. He wants community members to know that their gifts of any size to support his efforts will be put to use immediately to help local children.

With school out for summer, Second Harvest Food Bank and its partner food assistance agencies are working to make sure that local kids have the food they need to enjoy their summer break and start back to school in the fall ready to learn.

“During the school year, thousands of children in our area can rely on free or reduced priced school meals to help them stay focused on learning, but the summer months are a different story,” explains Harmon, who serves as the Food Drive and Retail Donor Relations Manager for Second Harvest Food Bank. “I remember what those school meals meant to me as a kid, and I remember the generosity of neighbors when those meals weren’t available. Now, I’m the guy at Second Harvest Food Bank who is always asking folks to go the extra mile to help families in our community. This July, I aim to “walk my talk.” I’m going to go the extra mile, and I am going to ask others to do the same, knowing that each and every gift of support will make a difference to a child in need.”

Harmon’s month-long journey along the North Carolina Mountains to Sea trail spans the width of Second Harvest Food Bank’s 18-county service area, beginning at Mile Post 290.3 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Watauga County and concluding at Burlington’s City Park in Alamance County. Harmon is walking a minimum of 15 miles each day to honor 15 years of partnership and feeding community with WXII 12 News. The news outlet is covering Harmon’s journey through-out the month of July and hosting community donation events on Wednesday, July 20, at Ingles Shopping Center, Main Street, Walnut Cove, and Wednesday, July 27, at Speas Elementary School, Polo Road, Winston-Salem Throughout July, community members will be able to follow Harmon’s journey by tuning in to WXII 12 News broadcasts and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com /Summermealsmatter/.

Donations to support Harmon and Second Harvest Food Bank’s efforts to provide summer meals for kids can be made online at hungernwnc.org or mailed to Second Harvest Food Bank at 3655 Reed Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27107.