We purchase the food for our weekend feeding program in bulk which allows us to purchase nutritious meal items at a savings.
- Our goal is to see that each child receives: 2 breakfast cereals, 2 lunch items, 1 protein meal bar, 3 milks, 2 snacks, 1 fruit cup, 1 oatmeal packet and 3 juices.
- CHEW provides four different two-day menus and one three-day menu for our chronically hungry children.
- When our children have a long weekend they receive a three-day menu. Prior to a holiday, they also receive this menu that provides additional nutrition.
Area churches have adopted schools and distribute the nutritious meals weekly to each Wilson County Public School, Sallie B. Howard School for the Arts (charter school), Wilson Preparatory Academy (charter school) and the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf.
In North Carolina roughly 1 in 5 children are food insecure. In the Wilson County Public Schools over 50% of our school-age children fall into that category.
- During the 2020-2021 school term CHEW volunteers made weekly home deliveries of CHEW food during remote learning because of the COVID pandemic. The number of chronically hungry children reported to CHEW ranged between 340 to 360 children.
- For the 2023-2024 School Term, we have budgeted $200,000 for food. In January 2024 we are presently feeding 100 more children than we were last year at this time. The increased cost of food and rent have been particularly difficult for our CHEW families.