This wacky supermarket chase inspires parents to stand up for healthy, affordable food for all kids. The Farm Bill is the most important piece of legislation that affects the cost and accessibility of healthy foods.
As a pediatrician, Dr. Lisa Thornton sees first-hand the shocking health effects of childhood obesity. Obesity is the flip side of hunger and helping food insecure families is a challenge. Government policies like the Farm Bill can play a big role in solving the problem of obesity.
As a longtime food activist and leader, Karen Washington has paved the way for farmers markets and urban gardens in the South Bronx, one of the poorest and most obese counties in the nation. She is an inspirational grandma who is changing the system.
“Most parents don’t know that the Farm Bill is the most important bill that affects what our children eat. Our nation’s children are under-nourished and overfed. Not only is this devastating for families, but we have an obesity epidemic that costs our nation over $147 billion a year! It is time for the 150 million parents in this country to pay attention to the Farm Bill.” Nicole Betancourt, Founder of Parent Earth.
Sarah Schenck, Parent Earth’s Co-Founder admits, “whenever I heard the term ‘Farm Bill’ in the news, I’d tune out – it seemed just too complicated. Our antidote: 3 new videos that give parents a quick snapshot of how our lives are affected by the Farm Bill in terms of healthcare and what food ends up on our plates. Moms, Dads, and everyone who cares about kids is invited to learn more at: http://www.parentearth.com/action
WhyHunger’s annual fundraising season is upon us! Visit Hungerthon.org to view hundreds of cool, creative and meaningful opportunities for giving (a trip to London to see Coldplay, anyone?!). Your generosity supports WhyHunger’s mission to build the movement to end hunger and poverty…and that means direct support for all of our partners across the country and around the world. We’re giving thanks for all of you!
Listen to a conversation about food justice and building the food movement on CBS radio with DJ and Hungerthon supporter Bob Salter, WhyHunger staff Brooke Smith, board member Ruth Katz, and partner Salima Daley-Jones.
Kyoka Akers, Live Real Real Food Fellow presents at the 2nd Annual Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference
by Patricia Rojas and Siena Chrisman
The 2nd Annual Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference was held in the Bronx at Hostos Community College, a few stops away from Yankee Stadium. The annual gathering empowers growers, eaters and activists to explore and address the relationship between food and health in Black communities.
Participants discuss issues of race, class, health and food through panel discussions, workshops and field trips visiting some of the most innovative and inspiring work happening in local NYC communities.
This was my first time at the conference and, happily, it was in my backyard. (Go Bronx!) The conference began with a few words from Karen Washington, founder of La Familia Verde, a coalition of community gardens in the Crotona, East Tremont and West Farms neighborhoods of the Bronx. She introduced the two keynote speakers, K. Rashid Nuri, of Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture in Georgia, and Audrey Rowe, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Mr. Nuri began his presentation by telling the audience to fight every fight as if it will be your last. Food is a necessity and a right, but trying to obtain, grow and eat healthy food has become a battle. He spoke of growing food where you are, giving a push to those of us who do not have land but might have a little extra space in our apartments. He also spoke of the amazing work that Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture is doing in downtown Atlanta amidst the skyscrapers of the city. The Center is an organization that works to engage the community in developing local food systems through education and food production. [read entire article…]
The National Hunger Hotline (NHH), a service of WhyHunger’s National Hunger Clearinghouse, provides real-time referrals for people in need across the U.S. to emergency food resources and assistance programs. Receiving an average of 700 calls per month, the NHH is a portal to information, assistance and resources, ultimately empowering families and individuals to meet their vital needs including fresh healthy food.
A man from Wyoming recently called the Hotline on behalf of a family living in his community. The mother is an undocumented resident in the United States while her two small children are U.S. citizens. The man, a nearby neighbor, was concerned for the children and wanted to ensure that they would be able to access food through SNAP.
WhyHunger’s NHH advocate provided the man with the phone numbers of the SNAP offices in the area. The man took the numbers so that he could act as proxy for the woman and her children. Knowing that the family would have to wait 30 t0 60 days before being able to access food through SNAP, the man said that he would provide meals for the children until their SNAP benefits came through.
The National Hunger Hotline 1-866-3 HUNGRY and 1-877-8 HAMBRE (1-866-348-6479 and 1-877-842-6273) refers people in need of emergency food assistance to food pantries, government programs, and model grassroots organizations that work to improve access to healthy, nutritious food, and build self-reliance. Help is available on Monday through Friday from 9am-6pm EST. Hablamos español.
Welcome to the Connect blog, a project of WhyHunger’s Grassroots Action Network.
The Connect blog shares the stories of community-based organizations who are leading by example and working together to build the movement to end hunger and poverty.
Learn more about the Grassroots Action Network here.
