By JaCoya High

North Carolina A&T State Athletic Communications Student Intern


GREENSBORO, N.C. – The demand for food assistance is rising at an extraordinary rate. The nation's food banks are being struck by shortages in donated food and workers. 
 
North Carolina A&T State Athletics and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBS) have joined forces to support Communities In Schools of Greater Greensboro in combating the problem over the next three weeks. 
 
The partnership is designed to distribute a weekly donation of 200 free meals, catered by Painted Plate Catering, to low-income children and families in the Greater Greensboro area. 
 
Recently, the food drive was hosted at Windsor Recreation Center on 1601 E. Gate Blvd., in Greensboro. Windsor will hold the next food drive on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at noon. Warner Recreation Center on 601 Doak St., will hold the event on Oct. 21 and Peeler Community Recreation Center, at 1300 Sykes Ave., will close out the six-week program on Oct. 28. 
 
Within a two-hour window at Windsor on Wednesday, 200 families were given meals that included two choices of meat, a vegetable and dessert. 
 
"We are out here trying to help children and low-income families that would normally receive free/reduced lunch," Carl Hairston, associate athletics director for external affairs and marketing at N.C. A&T Athletics, said. "COVID19 has struck, therefore, these young people and their families have had a hard time getting what they need. We're trying to give back to the community." 
 
In attendance to help with the distribution of food was N.C. A&T head women's basketball coach Tarrell Robinson and the head men's basketball coach Will Jones. Cheryl Parquet, director of community engagement and marketing activation at BCBS of NC said meeting some of the needs in children's lives can help them succeed in life. 
 
"Improving food security in North Carolina is a long-term commitment of Blue Cross NC, and this program helps increase access to nutritious food for our Greensboro children," Parquet said. 
 
Not only can people receive a good meal, but masks and hand sanitizer are distributed to help keep the community safe. With the help of the communities around the area and the school system of Greensboro, the program has been directed at the right audience and has been able to help numerous families around the community. 
 
"During these unprecedented times, we want to ensure that N.C. A&T Athletics is doing all that we can to assist in our community," Earl Hilton, Director of Athletics at N.C. A&T, said. "This program allows us to directly provide meals to those in need, and we are proud to partner with Blue Cross NC, Communities in Schools and the City of Greensboro."
 
Communities In Schools of Greater Greensboro is a nonprofit whose mission is to help children in the city move beyond their circumstances with an individualized approach to make them successful. The approach centers on giving each child the "Five Basics:"