By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Lillington, NC - On June 1st, Harnett County NAACP Chair Benita Harrington informed the Harnett County School board and community of the following: “I stand before you today on behalf of the Harnett County NAACP, and the families whose voices often go unheard. We are here because hunger is not an abstract issue in the heart of our community. It's a daily reality for many of our children.
And yet, in the areas of Lillington, Shawtown, and Overhills, these communities face the greatest economic hardships. There are no accessible sites for the summer meal programs. These are the neighborhoods where families are working two and three jobs, where transportation is limited, and children rely on the school meal program as their most consistent source of nutrition. When the place with the greatest need receives the fewest resources, that's simply not an oversight; that is inequity, and inequity left unhandled is an injustice. The NAACP believes, and I believe, that every child deserves dignity, stability, and the basic nourishment required to learn, grow, and thrive. Hunger should never be a barrier to a child's future, not in Harnett County, not anywhere. I want to acknowledge the hard work that this board does, with so many competing demands that I've seen just tonight. Sometimes compassion requires us to look directly at the gaps that harm our most vulnerable. Empathy requires us to ask, what does it mean for a child to be hungry? Leadership requires us to act. Tonight, I'm asking the board to partner with NAACP, with community organizations, churches, and local leaders, to ensure that the free summer meal sites are placed where they're needed most, not where it's easiest, not where it's most convenient, but where the children are that are hungry. It's not a political issue for us; this is a moral one. Our children cannot wait; their well-being is our collective responsibility. So let's choose equity, let's choose compassion, and let's choose to make Harnett County a place where every child, regardless of the zip code, has access to the nourishment they deserve.”
The statistics show 7,290 children face food insecurity in Harnett County. This is terrible for a state where “Goodness grows” and a county with “Strong roots, new growth.” We can do better. After Harrington’s remarks, Harnett County School Board Co-Chair Brad Abate began asking questions, which led to a conversation about the program being driven somewhat by USDA maps. According to the team these USDA maps to an extent dictate what sites are established based on a variety of statistics. A search on the Harnett County Schools’ website has not been updated for this summer. Chairwoman Harrington also noted that in areas with limited internet access, information about the lunch program needs more collective organizing.
My ultimate question is bigger than the summer meal program, speaking to food in Harnett County overall. In Harnett, there are 563 farms, according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture. These operations encompass over 109,000 acres of farmland and contribute more than $251 million to the local economy. Is it possible for Harnett County Schools to buy farm fresh meat and produce directly from Harnett County farmers to feed our students and other vulnerable populations?
According to county data, agriculture is Harnett County’s leading industry, ranking top 30 statewide for cotton, hay, soybeans, sweet potatoes, tobacco, broilers, and hogs. The County also ranks 14th among North Carolina’s 100 counties in total farm income. What would it take to ensure every Harnett County Schools student gets a sweetpotatoe a day to ensure they’re learning and growing while taking in all the important nutrients? The Carolinian will continue to follow this story.
