Our members are constantly surprising us with their commitment to healthy habits and helping the people around them eat well! We recently caught up with Tami McGraw, a member of The Produce Box for several years, who is also picking up and coordinating donations for the Brown Bag Ministry.
 |
| Tami pictured with her grandson |
Tami became a member of The Produce Box after being diagnosed with Alpha Galactose, a rare tick disease that makes her deathly allergic to all red meat and by-products. North Carolina has the second highest rate of people with this disease in the country, and they number in the thousands. People with Alpha Galactose can’t eat any pork, beef, lamb, butter, or milk, but they can eat fish and poultry. It makes her diet limited, but with The Produce Box, she’s able to add tasty variety to her diet while trying new fruits and vegetables. Her diagnosis makes eating a challenge at times, but because of it, she’s eating healthier and helping the needy eat healthy, too.
Tami and her son first started volunteering with Brown Bag Ministry through their church, St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Apex. Brown Bag Ministry is a charitable organization that serves the homeless and hungry in the Triangle and is 100% volunteer led and operated. They prepare and distribute more than 2,700 brown bag lunches to the homeless and those in need every Saturday at five different locations, and two Saturdays each month they prepare a hot meal to feed more than 200.
Since she first started packing meals with her son through Brown Bag Ministry, Tami’s role has changed, and now she helps out by coordinating fresh veggie needs for the hot meals with in-season produce from us. It’s a great way to get fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables to those in need in our communities who don’t have access to it on a regular basis. We love giving back to organizations like Brown Bag Ministry, and Tami’s spirit of giving is why we chose her to spotlight this month.