A family plot at Las Milpitas, Tucson, AZ
Six months ago while working with the network Somos la Semilla in southern Arizona, I had the opportunity to visit an urban farm in the south central part of Tucson which I reported on in the CONNECT Blog. While back again last week we dropped in on the same urban farm which is a part of the Community Food Resource Center’s Farming Program (a program of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona) directed by Jaime de Zubeldia and managed by Chris Lowen. This urban farm — situated alongside the dry riverbed of the Santa Cruz river — had been inching along last September with a few plots, dreams for growth, and a desire for more community involvement was now seemingly bursting with new life and activity on multiple levels.
The farm was recently renamed Las Milpitas (Little Fields) by the neighboring community which, as a result of outreach and organizing efforts, were now farming 40 individual family plots. Additionally, several ramadas for shade had been constructed; a small green house now sits on the corner of the farm; 9 community members were beginning to form an advisory group holding meetings twice monthly; the young people participating in the Community Food Resource Center’s youth farm project were holding educational workshops for the community including one on composting; and some of the produce from the farm was being sold at one of the local farmers markets.
Director of Farming Jaime de Zubeldia for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona discusses the progress at Las Milpitas with WhyHunger staff.
At the inauguration celebration of Las Milpitas last month which included press and remarks from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona’s CEO Bill Carnegie, one of the gardeners spoke to the assembled crowd and proudly reported that because of the vegetables she was able to grow on her plot at this urban farm, she was no longer dependent on the food box she regularly picked up at the Food Bank.
A big shout out to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, home to the Community Food Resource Center, for bridging the short term food needs of low-income members of Tucson’s city with the long-term goal of community sustainability.
In the small coastal town of Sitka, Alaska, nestled on the west coast of Baranof Island in the heart of the Tongass – the nation’s largest National Forest, students eat local food for lunch. The Sitka Conservation Society incorporates all the key elements that make an excellent farm to school program: health, sustainability and community, and then apply those themes to fish.
The students eat fish at school, are taught stream to plate curriculum and develop an appreciation for their natural environment. Simultaneously, they connect with community-based fishermen. Recently, fishermen were celebrated during a special fish lunch at two local schools. Since the event coincided with St. Valentine’s Day, fishermen even received Valentine’s Day cards from the students.
[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 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.
Recently, we heard from Mrs. John who called the Hotline looking for assistance in providing food for her family for the next 30 to 60 days. Her husband, a veteran of the Iraq War was discharged from the military over two months ago for a medical disability stemming from his time in the service. As the primary bread winner for the family, Mrs. John’s husband’s loss of employment left the family sitting in limbo while they waited for their application for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) to be approved – a process that can take up to two months.
An NHH Advocate was able to provide Mrs. John with a referral to a KidsCafe in her community, where children receive dinner meals, as well as a mobile pantry sponsored by the regional food bank. The advocate also provided referrals to local pantries and the contact information to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists in paying utility bills.
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.
This week WhyHunger staff members Alison Cohen and Brooke Smith are visiting some of our partners in Southeast Arizona.
Stopping in Barrio Wakefield, Tucson, AZ, Alison and Brooke met up with Cesar Lopez, a member of 2012 HCSRA Winners Tierra y Libertad Organization (TYLO). Cesar showed them around the TYLO headquarters and shared with them some of the details of the organizations work, the challenges their community faces, and the solutions they’ve identified to address them. Using a multifaceted community organizing model founded on the principal that communities need to stand up for their members and leverage their existing assets to create change, Tierra y Libertad is rebuilding their community in south central Tucson through engaging their community in the production of culturally relevant food while developing sustainable economic practices and creating small barrio-based business enterprises.
Check back for more updates on Tierra y Libertad Organization and the amazing work they’re doing in their community!
