Photo By Lt. Col. Ellis Parks | North Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1-130 Attack...... read more read more
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North Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 1-130th Attack Reconnaissance Battalion (ARB), 449th Theater Aviation Brigade assisted volunteers and staff members of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle with harvesting, planting, and caring for produce on the Inter- Faith’s farm in Raleigh, N.C., April 29, 2020.
The 1-130th Soldiers working on the Inter-Faith farm joined more than 940 NCNG Soldiers and Airmen who have been activated in response to COVID-19 relief efforts to help support NC Emergency Management, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and other emergency response partners from across the state.
“During COVID… our need to serve has increased expeditiously… we have been trying to find creative ways, innovative ways, to send more product out,” said Jonathan Lee, the agricultural programs director for Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. “About 80% of what we grow is normally designated for distribution (to food-insecure individuals) through our programs… during the outbreak, we are designating 100% of what we grow to our programs.”
"The 1-130th Soldiers’ military occupational specialties normally have them working on, working around, or flying the state’s AH-64 Apaches but during the COVID-19 response, they are asked to do something a little different.
The goal is to help the farm, like yesterday my guys harvested almost 500 lbs of collards," said 2nd Lt. James Campbell, the officer in charge on the ground for the farming mission.
“This has been a really unique experience… to be able to get in the dirt and plant some plants as well as help the community… but overall to see this and get hands-on from planting the food to handing the food out to the public has been really meaningful,” said Campbell.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in almost every way and has increased the purpose of the National Guard as a domestic emergency response entity. The work the Soldiers are doing for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is only one way the NCNG is filling the gap.
“Our programs with the farm included, rely on volunteer labor,” said Lee. “Our labor force has significantly decreased so our capacity to help has decreased.”
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2020 13:24 |
| Story ID: | 368863 |
| Location: | RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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