 Being hungry is the worst feeling in the world. It's not that feeling you get when you skip breakfast and lunch. It hits your core, your dignity, your hope. Every year there are over 480,000 people at risk for hunger in the 34 counties served by the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. Of these, nearly 162,000 are children. In the spring of 2010, students from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics tried to break the world's record for collecting the most non-perishable food at a single site in 24 hours. With help from local businesses, community and neighborhood groups, and many individuals, NCSSM collected 319,990 pounds of food to be distributed by the Food Bank. Although we didn't break the world record, we now hold the record for the most food collected in North Carolina in one day. And this year we're more determined than ever. We're convinced we can reach our goal of providing thousands of meals to people in need in North Carolina. Money from the Pepsi Refresh Project would help us with event costs and food transportation, as well as advertising. Part of the funds will go directly to the Food Bank as part of our virtual food drive. But most importantly, we'll be providing schools with educational toolkits and resources to help teachers talk about food insecurity. These resources will help students start their own food drives, encouraging civic responsibility, and teaching lessons about empathy and compassion. With the help of Pepsi in the North Carolina School of Science and Math, together we can. We are going to address the issue of hunger in North Carolina. We're going to bring our community together for one common goal. The Pepsi Refresh Project will help make alleviating hunger in North Carolina a reality.