Fox 17 Reporter Dancing The CHA CHA?!

Cutting a rug... to feed the hungry...  That's the goal of Dancing with the Nashville Stars... And this year our Fox 17's Erica Shaffer is one of the celebrity dancers.  The competition benefits Feed America First... An organization that will feed more than 22 thousand families a month right here in Middle Tennessee.  It's 9:30 in the morning and more than 34 agencies are coming to the Feed America First warehouse to pick up loads of food and take them back to rural areas throughout Middle Tennessee.  From this pick up alone more than 7 thousand families will get a meal. Tom Henry founder of Feed America First says, "Every small town in every rural area there are people already engaged in feeding the hungry- a lot of times they are people who have walked a mile in those shoes."Tom Henry started Feed America First after working thirty years in the restaurant business, he buys food in bulk from manufacturers, distributors and growers who have food approaching the sell by date.  Henry says, "It has value up until the sell by date and then it doesn't have any value - this is food that is not going to the landfill because we are able to give it away."Journey home is just one of the agencies that benefit from this food pick up... Scott Foster with Journey Home says, "We get produce dairy products food staples and we either turn around and redistribute them to families in need or use them to create meals at our community cafe program."He says without Feed America First many of the organizations, including his own, wouldn't be able to help feed the hungry in their area... A need he says can go unnoticedScott Foster says, "People think often times in a fast growing economy and fast going population area that sometimes these problems don't exist but they just exist kind of under the spot light - kind of where no one is looking."Tom Henry says now, more than ever fundraisers like Dancing with the Nashville Starts will help feed more families in need.... Because each time you vote for a celebrity dancer... It provides meals for the hungry.   Tom Henry says, "A dollar spent in supporting Dancing with the Nashville Stars will actually have an impact - it is the equivalent of 12 to 15 meals." Voting is already underway and Erica needs your vote!Dancing with the Nashville Stars takes place November 8th at the Franklin Factory.  For tickets and to vote for Fox 17's Erica Shaffer... click on Fox Links.