{"id":13514,"date":"2024-09-13T01:57:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T01:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.findadistributor.com\/news\/?p=13514"},"modified":"2024-08-27T11:02:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T11:02:27","slug":"carolina-handling-supports-hunger-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.findadistributor.com\/news\/carolina-handling-supports-hunger-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Carolina Handling Supports Hunger Relief"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to Feeding America, more than 44 million people in the United States face hunger each year, including 1 in 5 children.<\/p>\n

About two billion pounds of food is rescued each year by food banks comprising the Feeding America network, with more than 49 million people turning to these charitable organizations in 2023 to help feed their families.<\/p>\n

The logistics of moving thousands of pallets of donated food with manual equipment, or no equipment at all, is overwhelming to hunger relief organizations, many of which are run by a small staff or volunteers. That\u2019s where material handling companies like Carolina Handling can help.<\/p>\n

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\u201cFighting food insecurity is a challenge, and since the pandemic that challenge has taken on a new look,\u201d said Donal Dickens, regional branch coordinator at Second Harvest Food Bank in Williamston, South Carolina.<\/p><\/div>\n

In our new fiscal year that began April 1, Carolina Handling turned its philanthropic focus to fighting hunger with a yearlong campaign entitled \u201cHandling Hunger Together.\u201d Throughout the year, our associates will volunteer at mobile food distribution events and food banks, pack weekend backpacks for children and hold special events to raise money for hunger relief organizations throughout our territory.<\/p>\n

And to celebrate Carolina Handling\u2019s 58 years in business in 2024, we launched a 58 for 58 pallet jack giveaway on May 1 to award 58 Raymond 8210 motorized walkie pallet jacks to qualifying organizations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are numerous organizations throughout our territory that receive, store and distribute thousands of pounds of food each year to feed the hungry,\u201d said Carolina Handling President & CEO Brent Hillabrand. \u201cThe need for reliable equipment to unload and move pallets at food banks and pantries is even greater than we realized. We\u2019re honored to partner with so many nonprofits that are addressing food insecurity in their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The organizations that are receiving a motorized pallet jack from Carolina Handling combine to serve 11.2 million adults and children each year throughout the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and the panhandle of Florida. Together, they distribute an average of 290 million pounds of food annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cFighting food insecurity is a challenge, and since the pandemic that challenge has taken on a new look,\u201d said Donal Dickens, regional branch coordinator at Second Harvest Food Bank in Williamston, South Carolina. \u201cOne constant throughout it all is the need for resources to put food in our communities. Any donation of time, food, money or equipment is extremely welcomed and goes a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to faster pickup, setup and distribution, the motorized pallet jacks have improved the health and safety of food bank staff and volunteers, recipients say.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe safety of our volunteers will be greatly improved by the efficiency and multiple uses of this new asset,\u201d said Allen G. Triebel, executive director of Gilmer Community Food Pantry in Ellijay, Georgia. \u201cWe will be able to maneuver large pallets inside our panel truck, and our petite pet pantry team leader will now be able to move pallets loaded with 500 lbs. of pet food safely and with ease.”<\/p>\n

Ken Tuck, executive director of Love In Action International Ministries in Dothan, Alabama, agrees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a manual pallet jack and while that\u2019s good to have, I\u2019m getting on up in age a little bit and to have that motorized one saves backs, especially in this heat and humidity in South Alabama,\u201d Tuck said.<\/p>\n

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At Feeding GA Families in Atlanta, where staff and volunteers serve about 5,000 families each month with a drive-through food distribution program, the motorized pallet jack has reduced the workload by about 50 percent.<\/p><\/div>\n

Staff and volunteers at Bountiful Blessings in Gastonia, North Carolina, also found the motorized pallet jack to be a step up from its manual version.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019ve got 26 pallets on a 53-foot reefer truck,\u201d explained Bountiful Blessings director Rodney Freeman. \u201cThat hand pallet truck is good at the beginning, but when you get to the front of that trailer and try to push about 4,000 pounds of food to the back, it\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n

At AIM in downtown Anderson, South Carolina, the motorized pallet jack has improved warehouse operations and the logistics of AIM\u2019s daily drive-through food distribution program.<\/p>\n

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Staff and volunteers at Bountiful Blessings in Gastonia, North Carolina, found the motorized pallet jack to be a step up from its manual version.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a small nonprofit, so having the resources to purchase something like new equipment is very rare,\u201d said Sarah Ann Bannister, AIM’s director of resource development. \u201cWe\u2019re so excited for the motorized pallet jack. We\u2019re able to unload trucks and get things moved around the pantry so much easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Feeding GA Families in Atlanta, where staff and volunteers serve about 5,000 families each month with a drive-through food distribution program, the motorized pallet jack has reduced the workload by about 50 percent, said co-founder and CFO Alicia Rivera.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe operate faster, which means we can set up faster, we get food distributed faster, and we\u2019re able to do food pickups quicker,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cThat means we can do more pickups in a day having that electric equipment.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The logistics of moving thousands of pallets of donated food with manual equipment, or no equipment at all, is overwhelming to hunger relief organizations.<\/p><\/div>\n

Carolina Handling 58 for 58 Motorized Pallet Jack Recipients<\/strong><\/p>\n