MVA & Piedmont Natural Gas Observe Bar Association Legal Feeding Frenzy at Second Harvest
Volunteers from Piedmont Natural Gas’ legal department and attorneys from Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) joined forces at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina’s (SHFBM) warehouse on March 26, to fill 1,100 backpacks with food for hunger-risk children.
The 20 volunteers packed backpacks with nutritious, ready-to-eat or easily prepared foods in support of Second Harvest’s Backpack Program. The backpacks will be delivered to local schools to be sent home with children whom teachers have identified as being high risk for hunger.
A portion of the filled packs were earmarked for delivery to Devonshire Elementary School, where Piedmont and MVA have funded an affiliate backpack program. Their effort is only one of the many initiatives that has taken place within the state’s legal community this month, due in part to the North Carolina Bar Association’s 2014 Legal Feeding Frenzy challenge.
SHFBM Executive Director Kay Carter kicked off the event by welcoming and thanking the group, and shared facts about the impact of hunger locally. Currently, 18% of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina’s 19-county service area is at risk of hunger, including a little more than 170,000 children and nearly 40,000 seniors.
Piedmont Natural Gas Sr. Vice President & Chief Legal, Compliance and External Relations Officer Jane Lewis-Raymond then spoke, emphasizing the severity of the hunger issue, and Piedmont’s corporate focus on stewardship in the community. “One of Piedmont’s primary missions is to provide the time and resources to promote and improve the economic and social vitality of our service areas. Piedmont’s legal department is proud to be part of the momentum to eliminate hunger that is sweeping through North Carolina’s legal community. Piedmont is committed to partnering with organizations that maintain the same level of respect and appreciation for good corporate citizenship like Moore & Van Allen.”
“Hunger is something most of us probably can’t even fathom. It’s easy to become absorbed by daily routines and the responsibilities of work and other obligations. I think we all need to be reminded of the need, and to be faced with a challenge to make a difference,” stated MVA Member and Public Service Chairman Brian Heslin, who offered final remarks before the backpack packing commenced. “We are excited to be working with Piedmont in this effort for the second year in a row.”
The Legal Feeding Frenzy, launched in 2013 by the Office of the Attorney General, the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association, and the North Carolina Association of Food Banks, is a three-week food and fund drive competition among the state’s law firms and organizations. The 2014 competition commenced on March 10, and ends on March 28. All proceeds and donations benefit North Carolina’s Feeding America Food Banks.
Photos from the event can be seen here.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
As part of Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina – serves 19 counties in North and South Carolina. In FY2012-2013, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 40 million pounds of food and essential grocery items to almost 600 hunger feeding agencies. Agencies served include emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycares.