KINSTON, N.C. – After a few days' wait, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are in eastern North Carolina today, assessing the damage done by Hurricane Florence and creating the infrastructure to address the need. But local community groups are already several steps ahead of them.

They include the North Carolina Hurricane Relief Effort and Community Rapid Response Network. The collective is made up of organizations that are no strangers to the people most in need of help. Courtney Patterson is an organizer there, helping to coordinate their effort.

"The reason we're able to reach these people is because we were already in touch with them, prior to this storm,” says Patterson. “And we realized that we needed to come together in solidarity with the people who are affected, and to try and provide and meet their needs."

The Network is made up of people from Eastern NC Triangle, the Environmental Justice Network and the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, along with other grassroots groups.

According to Patterson, they began preparing early last week, speaking with community groups from Hurricane Harvey about best practices for helping people. They're seeking financial support, as well as donations of toiletries, household cleaning supplies and roof-patching materials.

Eastern North Carolina is home to some of the highest poverty rates in the state, up to 35 percent, with many minority communities confronting generational poverty. The state average is around 16 percent.

Patterson says he and others were struck by what was missing in the images of President Donald Trump's visit to the coast on Thursday.

"Discrimination is still a factor in what we do,” he notes. “You might have seen one or two black faces there – but see, the people that I know that have been inundated by this storm are black faces, and there was no focus put on any of that."

The risk management agency Moody's Analytics estimates the damage from Hurricane Florence could be as much as $22 billion. Hurricane Matthew cost roughly $6 billion.


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A new program in Indiana will ensure year-round access to nutritious meals for students statewide.

The Summer Electronic Transfer program provides a one-time $120 payment for school-aged children on an EBT card. The card can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and other retailers.

Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, said history shows programs such as SUN Bucks are effective.

"What we learned from the pandemic is that when we provide benefits like this, allowing families to pickup on behalf of their children made a tremendous difference in reducing food insecurity amongst kids during the pandemic," Weikert Bryant observed. "Particularly during the summer."

Weikert Bryant pointed out most eligible families will automatically receive benefits and local schools will discuss eligibility with parents and families. The application deadline is Wednesday. Additionally, free meals are available at SUN Meals sites throughout communities. Funding for the initiative is provided by the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Weikert Bryant described who qualifies for SUN Bucks.

"Children are eligible for the program if the household already participates in SNAP, TANF -- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families -- or income-based Medicaid," Weikert Bryant outlined. "Or if the student has been identified as a ward of the state; a foster child, homeless or migrant."

SUN Bucks serves as a crucial lifeline, ensuring no child goes hungry during the summer months. The program reflects Indiana's commitment to fostering the well-being of Hoosier kids, ensuring they receive nutritious meals to thrive personally and academically.


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Alabama is one of 14 states opting out of the 2024 summer electronic benefit program.

As summer rolls around, there will be no programs in place to help low-income families with grocery costs.

LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for the group Alabama Arise, said as a result, more than 500,000 children who usually receive free or reduced lunch could go without meals. She noted while summer feeding programs will be available, they will not reach everyone in need.

"Ninety-four percent of Alabama children who rely on free and reduced-price meals won't have access to them over the summer," Clifford Wood reported. "That means that only 6% of the children who rely on those meals during the school year are going to be fed through summer feeding programs."

Clifford Wood warned limited hours, transportation and strict program rules will hinder many families from benefiting from such vital programs. The Alabama Legislature did not allocate the necessary $15 million for the program by the end of the last session. However, Clifford Wood noted there is a chance the program will be funded in the summer of 2025.

As legislators focus on next year's budgets, Clifford Wood stressed the need for funding next summer's EBT program. She pointed out Alabama Arise is calling for lawmakers to allocate funds from the Education Trust Fund to combat child hunger, affecting one in four children in the state.

"This is a program that's been tested for 13 years," Clifford Wood emphasized. "It's had three rigorous evaluation periods, and it was shown to improve the diet of children and decrease children's food hardship by a third."

Clifford Wood believes prioritizing children's needs and addressing food insecurity is a form of preventive care and serves as an early investment in the state's overall wellness.

The Food Research and Action Center said funding the e-benefits program would also benefit the economy - adding anywhere from $98 million to $117 million. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is expected to vote on the budget next week.

California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.