Medford Lakes singer CC Miles to release song about food insecurity

Alyssa Biederman
CC Miles, of Medford Lakes, is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter who is working as the Food Bank of South Jersey's 2020 youth ambassador. She will release a new song about food insecurity in September.

Growing up in Medford Lakes, CC Miles didn’t hear the words “food insecurity” very often.

“I had no idea that this was a huge issue,” she said. “I really didn't know people were struggling as much because it wasn’t a topic of regular conversation.”

When Miles, a 19-year-old singer and songwriter, was asked to perform at an event for the Food Bank of South Jersey a few years ago, she started to realize how much a lack of access to food permeated her community. In September, she will release a song she wrote about hunger in hopes of bringing awareness to the often unspoken struggles of food insecurity.

“It's from the point of view of a daughter, and her mother is struggling with feeding the family and their dad left and mom’s working a bunch of jobs and she's doing the best she can,” Miles said. “The song is bringing awareness to food insecurity and how there's people struggling and the people around them don't even know.”

In Burlington County, nearly 42,000 residents are food insecure and more than a quarter of that number represents children without consistent access to food. The Food Bank of South Jersey provides meals and resources throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties and hosts programs and events to bring awareness to the hunger in these communities.

“Hunger is in every zip code in South Jersey, but it's hard to know what's going on behind closed doors,” said Jennifer Schaeffer, director of programs and services for the food bank. “CC is normalizing something that kids and teens don't talk about with their friends, and are maybe embarrassed of and let them know that this is something that lots of people go through.”

Miles started making music when she was 13 because the artists she looked up to, like Taylor Swift, helped her process her feelings.

“They could write a song that completely spoke to me and it was exactly how I was feeling,” she said. “Creativity is what touches the heartstrings of people.”

Now, she’s working on her fourth album and has toured the country sharing her music.

Miles first sang at the Food Bank of South Jersey’s Hunger Games, an annual fundraiser where chefs cook dishes with mystery ingredients. At this year’s event, she will debut her new song.

“When there are causes that we don't really think about on a regular basis, but then hear a song or watch a movie or read a book, that really takes it and makes it like we’re walking in that person's shoes,” Miles said.

Miles is the 2020 youth ambassador for the food bank. Schaeffer said reaching out to young people is important for the food bank because it helps to end stigma and encourages people to get help.

“CC has the potential to reach a different type of audience,” Schaeffer said. “I think it's helpful for them to know that a lot of people are experiencing the things that they're going through. Reducing the stigma is important for people.”

The Food Bank of South Jersey takes a food-filled Hope Mobile to areas where young people and their families already access resources, like libraries, playgrounds and churches, and gives out meals. It also runs pop-up food pantries and helps people access other resources, like SNAP benefits.

This summer, more people have become food insecure during the pandemic. The Food Bank has already given out 100,000 more meals than in past years.

“I just think that more people should be aware that there are a lot of ways that we can help,” Schaeffer said. “It's not just going to a pantry.”