The Triangle has a myriad of options for catering, but WRAL-TV Creative Director Shelly Leslie recently told Capcom about a choice with a way to give back. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (IFFS) has a catering division. Catering with a Cause NC provides a professional catering service with the added bonus of “choosing a delicious way to support our community.”
“I just love this idea,” said WRAL-TV Creative Director Shelly Leslie. “It really illustrates the circular vision of the Food Shuttle. Every program ‘feeds’ another program. They use the resources generated from one program to support and grow another. Everything is connected and working together.”
All profits of Catering with a Cause are reinvested in job training and other hunger-relief programs at Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Graduates are hired from the IFFS Culinary Job Training Program. Catering with a Cause serves as an extended training program for these graduates so they can learn catering-specific skills before beginning a career in the food service industry. Find out more about the program and the great food at cateringwithacause.org.
Leslie learned about IFFS and their new catering program through former WRAL Creative Services Director Cindy Sink, who now works as the Director of Communications at IFFS.
“I had heard of them for years but had no idea the depth of the work they were doing,” said Leslie. “Founder/CEO Jill Staton Bullard asked me to join the board as an associate and serve as board chair of Cindy’s Marketing & Communications committee. I jumped at the opportunity to support both the work of IFFS and Cindy. I’m so inspired by the work they’re doing.”
CBC has a long history of connection with the IFFS. WRAL-TV Producer/Director Clarence has been a long-time supporter of IFFS, and WRAL-FM Vice President & General Manager Ardie Gregory was a long time board member and chair.
(Thanks to IFFS for this capcom photo.)
“Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is currently working in seven counties,” explained Leslie. “They’re not just providing emergency food, they’re working on the root causes of hunger. That’s the only way to fix the sources of problem: Lack of access to healthy food, and lack of income to buy it. Just in the 7 counties served by IFFS, 274,000 people wake up hungry and have no means to satisfy that basic human need. One in four children in NC is at risk of going hungry. We have to do something!”
Leslie tipped Capcom that WRAL-TV will be partnering with IFFS in a big way later this year.
“This year, WRAL-TV is going to partner with Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in a big way,” she said. “As part of IFFS’s 25th anniversary, we’re hosting a daylong fundraiser on July 25th. WRAL Documentary is also planning a special program on hunger in our community that week. There’s also outreach planned through local churches. It’s gonna be BIG!”
Stay tuned to Capcom for more on some exciting details in the near future.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Shelly Leslie & the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle website for contributions to this capcom story.
