Don’t expect a holiday slump for the local agencies in Elizabethton and Carter County.

Representatives of the Carter County Community Advisory Board met Thursday afternoon at the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library to continue their goal of assisting the public with different activities and projects.

As the list of partners continues to grow, CAB reps were able to learn more about what Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee has to offer.

Autumn Martin, with Second Harvest, spoke to the board and offered insight into the inner workings of the facility what their impact is for the Tri-Cities area and surrounding counties.

According to Martin, the facility was able to provide over 11 million pounds of food in 2017 for their service bases, which includes Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties.

Martin added that current statistics show over 73,000 in the region are food insecure with one-fourth of the group being children. Also, roughly 31,000 meals are distributed each month.

Second Harvest also delves into a variety of projects, including mobile food pantry and children-based programs. One of the more heavily promoted outreach programs is the outreach for SNAP, which Martin indicated that current numbers show over 2,000 residents qualify for the program, but haven’t enrolled.

Second Harvest doesn’t serve food directly from its office, Martin said, but distributes the food to pantries across the area.

Visit netfoodbank.org to learn more on how to get involved with Second Harvest.

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The spring and summer months have also provided some fruits of success for CAB.

Board member Jilian Reece was able to provide an update on the community gardens, mentioning there are now 28 in Elizabethton and Carter County. While new locations, like Brown’s Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church and Kids Like Us, now have gardens, Reece said others have continued to make strides. The Elizabethton Housing and Development Agency garden is now self-sustainable, she added.

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In Relay For Life news, Amy Pate indicated the Carter County chapter was able to raise over $28,000 but that the drive isn’t over just yet. A roadblock and August movie session is around the bend for the public. Individuals wanting to get involved can visit the Carter County Relay For Life Facebook page for more information on how to get involved or to form teams.

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Other activities are also on the horizon for the organization. To stay up to date with community projects, visit the Carter County Community Advisory Board Facebook page.