Greenville, SC


 


Just as soon as the last box of holiday decorations is packed away for the year, February 14th seems to rush in on the heels of those hectic last months of 2011. We are quickly faced with the challenge of concocting new and creative ways to express tenderness to our loved ones on Valentine’s Day.

Choosing the perfect ingredients to cook a delicious meal for our sweetheart can be a headache for many. However, resigning to dine on the last can in the pantry is increasingly becoming a reality for a growing number of our Greenville neighbors. To help everyone have a meal, Mast General Store is partnering with Loaves and Fishes to raise awareness of hunger in Greenville with its ninth annual Be a Sweetheart...Feed the Hungry event on February 11th and 12th.

In the United States, hunger is not caused by food scarcity. There is more than enough food to feed everyone. We have the infrastructure to deliver it. A network of interstate highways and a trucking industry are ready to move mountains of food daily wherever it needs to go. The supermarket store shelves are stocked to the ceiling. But none of this matters if customers have no money in their pockets. Poverty spoils every meal.

According to Worldhunger.org, “In 2010, 46.9 million people were in poverty, up from 37.3 million in 2007 - the fourth consecutive annual increase… This is the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty rates have been published.”

Hunger is not discriminatory is not only an issue within the homeless community. It is exponentially and rapidly becoming a crisis for the working class American family as well. According to FeedingAmerica.org, “90% of hunger relief recipients are gainfully employed”. People are making hard choices - food or heat; food or the mortgage payment; food or prescription drugs; food or getting the car repaired.

Fred Martin, president of the Mast General Store, commented, “Our Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry event has helped provide food to the food banks serving our local communities at a time when donations are at a lower level. After the holidays, donations tend to wane, and in these challenging economic times, we need to help our neighbors whenever we can.” This year, Mast Store will contribute $1 for each pound of candy purchased on February 11th and 12th to a local food agency in each of its communities.

“It is just amazing what these organizations can do with a dollar,” said Martin. “With the help of donations and contributions by restaurants and vendors, spare change can feed a person three hot, healthy meals. Any amount can help.”

In 2009, Loaves and Fishes delivered over 1,000,000 meals worth of food to more than 100 emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, and other human services organizations in Greenville County. In 2010, Loaves and Fishes reported they have the largest food stamp case load in the state of South Carolina. Furthermore, “76% of [Greenville] households receiving food assistance include children under 18 years of age.”  Each dollar donated to Loaves and Fishes provides $11 in retail food value. It’s proof positive that even a small donation can be turned into a lot of food for our neighbors.

Like many non-profit organizations, Loaves and Fishes relies on volunteers and donations for much of its success. There are many opportunities to get involved on a personal or group level as well as learning how you can fight hunger in your community. You can find out more at the organization’s website – http://www.loavesandfishesgreenville.com/.
 


 

Hike for a Cause, Experience an Adventure
 


Have you ever wanted to run a marathon, but didn’t know if you could successfully complete 26.2 miles? Here’s the perfect substitute – CureSearch for Children’s Cancer Ultimate Hike. It’s a 26.5-mile hike (so you walk!) on the Foothills Trail to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.

The Inaugural Asheville 2012 Ultimate Hike will be held on May 19th, when determined participants will hike the stunning Foothills Trail in an effort to help find a cure for pediatric cancer.  Each hiker is required to attend one information session held around Asheville and a registration donation of $100 is required.  

RSVP to join one of the information sessions to learn the entire scoop on Hike Weekend, Hike Training and Fundraising. Two of the five informational sessions are being held at the Asheville Mast General Store: choose from Wednesday, February 15th at 5:30 p.m. or Thursday, February 16th at 5:30 p.m. in the store. To register for an Ultimate Hike Information Meeting, visit www.ultimatehike.org/asheville.

About CureSearch:
CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is a national non-profit foundation whose mission is to fund and support children’s cancer research and provide information and resources to all those affected by children’s cancer.  CureSearch raises funds for clinical trials conducted at more than 180 Children’s Oncology Group member hospitals across the nation and funds other clinical, basic and translational research so that researchers can understand all aspects of children’s cancer, from its causes to its consequences.

About the Foothills Trail:
About 77 miles in length, the Foothills Trail is located along the Blue Ridge Escarpment in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina. The landscape is diverse, ranging from high rocky outcrops with views to the distant horizon, to quiet forests in deep valleys carved by bold mountain streams.
 


 

Girls On the Run & Girls On Track Gears Back Up in Greenville


Girls on the Run and Girls on Track are afterschool programs that use the power of running to help girls become strong, content, self-confident young women. These are life-changing, experiential learning programs for girls ages 8 to 15 years old. They combine training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of these programs are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development. Girls on the Run is offered to girls 8 to 11 years old. Girls on Track is geared toward girls ages 12 to 15 years old. To find out more about how you can get your daughter registered for this excellent program, check out the Greenville Hospital System Children’s website.