The National Center on Homelessness State Report Card for North Carolina ranks North Carolina 44 on a scale of 1-50 with 1 being best and 50 the worst. They state that 1 in 22 children in North Carolina do not know where they will get their next meal.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends eating more dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, and fruits; eating less refined grains, fat, and calories; and obtaining 60 minutes of physical activity on most days. Gleaning in Haywood County is particularly important in establishing healthy behaviors among children given the rise of childhood obesity.
Haywood County Facts
- One in six Haywood county residents are food insecure, meaning that consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money at times during the year.
- More than half of Haywood County students receive a free or reduced lunch daily.
- Hundreds of Haywood County students receive a free backpack of food every weekend.
Haywood Gleaners Annual Facts
2013: HG gleaned and distributed over 20,000 pounds of fresh produce
2014: HG gleaned and distributed 21,220 pounds of fresh produce
2015: HG gleaned and distributed 17 TONS of fresh produce
2016: HG gleaned and distributed 26,100 pounds of fresh produce (drought year)
2017: HG gleaned and distributed 30,054 pounds of fresh produce