December 2011

Community Learning Project: Growing Soil, Building Community

, December 27, 2011

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At the corner of 47th and Kingsessing Ave. in West Philadelphia there’s a sizable vacant lot.  Lush and green with what appears to be random patches of tomato plants and squash running wild (and still laden with fruit in mid-October), it is one of 40,000 vacant lots now scattered throughout the city.  What some residents see as an eye sore driving down property values, others, like Amy Wilson at Pedal Co-op, see the vacant lots as an opportunity to revitalize the local economy while addressing food access issues and saving the environment.

Amy is not alone in her vision.  Across the United States, in cities like Detroit, MI; Oakland, CA; Minneapolis, MN; and Holyoke, MA, grassroots groups are creating jobs by reclaiming vacant lots to feed their communities and develop alternative eco-friendly business models.  In October, I visited Amy and members of her crew to participate in a peer-to-peer learning exchange between Pedal Co-op, Compostadores, a Gardening Matters working group (Minneapolis, MN), and Nuestras Raices (Holyoke, MA).  The three grassroots groups are peer mentors in WhyHunger’s Community Learning Project for Food Justice (CLP), a peer mentoring program that recognizes and promotes local community experts and supports them in sharing and exchanging their knowledge and skills with each other. [read entire article…]

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Stories from the National Hunger Hotline: Helping Those Who Serve

, December 22, 2011

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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 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. In Stories from the Hotline, we share some of the experiences of callers and our efforts to support them.

A veteran from Pennsylvania recently called the National Hunger Hotline, after scouring the phone book for the local county office for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).  After realizing that the number is no longer listed, he employed the assistance of the Hotline.

The veteran had been discharged from the military several decades ago but found that his pension was not allowing him to pay his bills and eat regularly. He wanted to sign up for SNAP. The advocate informed him that this process would take anywhere between 30 to 60 days. And he did not qualify for emergency SNAP because he had more than 150 dollars in his bank account, even though that money was allocated for other bills.

The advocate was able to find local resources that would be able to assist him in the interim.The NHH advocate located several food pantries that were in walking distance as well as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) at a food bank. The advocate insisted that if he need more resources, to call at any time.

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. The Hotline is funded in part by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

This article originally appeared in our monthly e-newsletter, the Clearinghouse Connection, which facilitates the exchange of information, resources and ideas among emergency food providers. To subscribe, email NHC.

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Corporate Power, Movement Building, and the 2012 Food and Farm Bill

, December 20, 2011

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Corn FieldI had the opportunity to run a workshop at November’s Community Food Security Coalition conference on “Corporate Power, Movement Building, and the 2012 Food and Farm Bill.” The focus of the workshop was intended to be a discussion of how to address corporate consolidation of the food system through the food and farm bill. Trouble was, at that point, it looked like the bill was being written in a secret process by select members of the Congressional agriculture committees, and no one really knew what was happening with it. It looked very likely that there would be no chance for the open public debate about the bill that many advocates had been anticipating.

Nonetheless, food and farm bill aside, the four panelists and audience of about 100 found more than enough to discuss about corporate concentration – and no wonder, at a time when the top four meatpackers process 85% all beef in the US, Monsanto owns patents on 80% of corn seed, and Walmart controls more than half of the grocery market in many regions, the issue of corporate control of our food system affects farmers, workers, and all eaters. [read entire article…]

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Good Food for Our Children: Good Common Sense

, December 16, 2011

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Children serving themselves from a healthy alternative salad bar at their school cafeteriaNutritional scientists have been saying for many years that good nutrition aids good cognition.  Teachers translate that to mean that children learn and behave better if they have a good breakfast and lunch.  This is no secret.  It is just good common sense.

Years ago families had to pay for books and children had to walk miles to school in all kinds of weather.  Then gradually, we made a decision as a country that taxpayers should pay for books and buses to take children long distances to school.  We did that so the children could learn and stay healthy.  We invested in the future of our children because it was the right thing to do and because their future is our future.  It is just good common sense.

We are now facing a double health crisis for our children.  Sixteen million children are considered food insecure.  That does not mean they are starving but rather they are eating less, having to skip meals and are eating a less nutritious diet than is necessary for balanced growth.  That leads to the second crisis of childhood obesity and the accompanying health related diseases, especially diabetes.  Obesity in children has rocketed from 6 percent in 1980 to 19 percent now and one third are either over weight or obese.  Diabetes has more than doubled since 1980 and is a major cause of the high cost of healthcare.  The overall cost for diseases related to obesity is $147 BILLION dollars a year.  Fast food, high doses of fat and sugar are poisoning our children, so much so that a recent study said that this generation is the first to be in danger of living shorter lives than their parents.   Something must be done.  Where should we start? [read entire article…]

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