Hungry?

What a wonderful assortment of food Americans have to choose from! The shelves of our  supermarkets offer a colorful, dazzling display of fresh produce, fresh and frozen meats, fish and fowl.... canned and boxed foods of all types...... and something for every member of the household.........

including the family pets. Entire aisles, with more floor space  than some grocery stores to be found in rural areas around the world, are often devoted to canines on one side and to felines on the other..... Fancy Feast and 9 Lives on the right, Alpo and Mighty Dog on the left..... The breakfast cereals alone take up an entire aisle. The boxes beckon, pre-pitched via television commercials aimed directly at the children. Each show for kids, every channel that devotes Saturday mornings to cartoons, all are telling  children what to demand from mom.  Captain Crunch and Count Chocula call.  Leprechauns enchant with Lucky Charms.... Toucans talk up Fruit Loops. Even the Silly Rabbit knows that Trix are for Kids!...... Too busy to cook? No problem! Everything from soups to "complete" meals can be found either frozen or boxed that is microwavable. Hot Pockets! "man-size" dinners..... Specialty ethnic aisle...  Islands of imported cheeses! Sliced meats and whole roast chickens from the Deli area...... Who could ask for anything more!!! 

Who?  ONE in EIGHT in America!

Read on......... 

According to the American Oxford Dictionary: 

hunger |ˈhə ng gər|

noun

a feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat : she was faint with hunger.

• a severe lack of food : they died from cold and hunger.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that in 2008:

• Of the 49.1 million people living in food insecure households (up from 36.2 million in 2007), 32.4 million are adults (14.4 percent of all adults) and 16.7 million are children (22.5 percent of all children).
• 17.3 million people lived in households that were considered to have "very low food security," a USDA term (previously denominated "food insecure with hunger") that means one or more people in the household were hungry over the course of the year because of the inability to afford enough food. This was up from 11.9 million in 2007 and 8.5 million in 2000.
• Very low food security had been getting worse even before the recession. The number of people in this category in 2008 is more than double the number in 2000.
• Black (25.7 percent) and Hispanic (26.9 percent) households experienced food insecurity at far higher rates than the national average.
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• Source: http://www.frac.org/html/hunger_in_the_us/hunger_index.html
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• Children everywhere are suffering from mal-nourishment. 

• "Children who struggle with hunger are sick more often, recover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitalized.
• They are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue.
• Children who face hunger are more susceptible to obesity and its harmful health consequences as children and as adults.

Hunger impedes our childrens’ ability to learn and perform academically:

• Undernourished children under the age of 3 cannot learn as much, as fast or as well.
• Lack of enough nutritious food impairs a child’s ability to concentrate and perform well in school.
• Children who don’t get enough nutritious food are more susceptible to the negative effects of skipping breakfast on their ability to think and learn.
• Hunger predisposes our children to emotional and behavioral difficulties

• Children who regularly do not get enough nutritious food have more behavioral, emotional and academic problems and tend to be more aggressive and anxious.
• Teens who regularly do not get enough to eat are more likely to be suspended from school and have difficulty getting along with other kids."
• Source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR108/ERR108.pdf
• I strongly suggest taking a look at the complete report cited above.
• ALL THIS WHILE 40% OF THE FOOD READY FOR HARVEST IN THIS COUNTRY GOES  UNEATEN.......Go Figure!

Thanks again for reading.  START LOCALLY..... IMAGINE GLOBALLY

I gotta go grab a sandwich.

Arthur

40% vs One in Eight

Forty Percent........ One in Eight: Two figures which embody the tragic irony that exists in America today.

40% of the food ready for harvest in this country never gets eaten. 

One in eight Americans is in need of emergency food relief. 

The 40%.....

Pre-harvest losses, such as those due to severe weather and disease are unavoidable. However, much of the post-harvest loss is avoidable. From the farm to the retail level loss can be attributed to mechanization, production practices and decisions. 

During the processing and wholesale stage, tons of  edible food is wasted through poor handling, package failure, and transportation losses. The amount of edible food that is discarded, thrown straight into the dumpster because it fails to meet often arbitrary federal and or state "standards" is unconscionable.

At the retail level, over 5 billion pounds of food are lost each year. Dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables account for half of retail loss.

Nearly 100 billion pounds of food is lost by consumers and the foodservice industry.........26% of the edible food supply! Fresh fruits and vegetables account for 20% of consumer and foodservice loss.

Source: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FoodReview/Jan1997/Jan97a.pdf

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The One in Eight........

The USDA spends billions of dollars providing food assistance. An estimated 150,000 nonprofit organizations including food banks and neighborhood charity outlets provide 10% of the U.S. population with some portion of their nutritional needs. 

"However, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, even with the extensive network of Federal and private food assistance programs, almost 20% of requests for emergency food assistance went unmet."

Source: usda.gov

"We live in the world's wealthiest nation. Yet 13 percent of people living in the United States live in poverty.

Nearly one in four children live in households that struggle to put food on the table. That's 16.7 million children.

The most direct way to reduce hunger in the U.S. is through national nutrition programs. But while food assistance to hungry people is vital, it is not enough.

Poverty

More than one in eight people in the United States lives below the poverty line, which is $21,756 for a family of four in 2009. One in five children in the United States lives below the poverty line. Source: Income, Earnings, and Poverty data from the 2008 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, 2009. 

• Americans (51.4 percent) will live in poverty at some point before age 65.  Source: Urban Institute, Transitioning In and Out of Poverty, 2007. 
• 84 percent of low-income families have at least one working family member, and 75 percent of single mothers who head households work. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2007. 
• In most areas, a family of four needs to earn twice the poverty line to provide children with basic necessities. Source: National Center for Children in Poverty, 2008.  
• Nationally, more than 30 percent of children live in low-income working families (families who earn less than twice the poverty line). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007, compiled by the Working Poor Families Projec Most t.
• A person working full-time at the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. The official poverty line for a family of three—one parent with two children—is $17,285.
• Source: http://www.bread.org/hunger/us/facts.html
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Forty Percent and One in Eight....  Simple figures..... Easy to remember. 

Think on them and and then ask:


How can we get the 40 to the One? 

 Start locally. Imagine Globally.

Oh! The possibilities.

Eat thoughtfully,

Arthur

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What's In Your Back Yard?

!

Start Locally                          Imagine Globally. 

The existence and practice of  "community gardening" predates recorded history. Wherever a community exists, the possibilities of creating a garden that is accessible to every member of that community are endless. Anywhere where fertile soil is to be found (or created), a community garden can be developed. Many municipalities provide space. Rooftop gardens abound in cities worldwide. The operative word here is COMMUNITY.  The world is facing a food crisis. The alarming statistics are available, but go unnoticed; it's time for the wake-up call. 

From the "City Farmer News,", a fine online publication that features 'New Stories From 'Urban Agriculture Notes'.":

"Convincing people of a threat to the food supply is like convincing people that the climate change is a problem: you can either wait until the crisis hits or react now." Peter Ladner

Source: http://www.cityfarmer.info/tag/rooftop-gardens/

The adage "Charity begins at home," is a statement of fact. If you  are fortunate enough to live in a home with a back yard, start a garden and feed your family. Share your surplus with your next-door neighbors. Better yet, if possible, get your neighbors to share one garden space, everyone contributing to its maintenance. Contribute the surplus to the local food bank. Does the town or city where you live have a community garden? If so, get INVOLVED! If not, WHY NOT?

The  American Community Gardening Association (ACGA) offers a wealth of information and can be found online at:   http://communitygarden.org/  

Community gardening benefits everyone.  From the ACGA:

• "Improves the quality of life for people in the garden
• Provides a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
• Stimulates Social Interaction
• Encourages Self-Reliance
• Beautifies Neighborhoods
• Produces Nutritious Food
• Reduces Family Food Budgets
• Conserves Resources
• Creates opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
• Reduces Crime
• Preserves Green Space
• Creates income opportunities and economic development
• Reduces city heat from streets and parking lots
• Provides opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections"

• Also from ACGA:

"10 STEPS TO STARTING A COMMUNITY GARDEN

American Community Gardening Association 

The following steps are adapted from the American Community Garden Association's guidelines  

for launching a successful community garden in your neighborhood.  

        1. ORGANIZE A MEETING OF INTERESTED PEOPLE 

Determine whether a garden is really needed and wanted, what kind it should be (vegetable, flower, both, organic?), whom it will involve and who benefits. Invite neighbors, tenants, community organizations, gardening and horticultural societies, building superintendents (if it is at an apartment building)—in other words, anyone who is likely to be interested. 

          2. FORM A PLANNING COMMITTEE 

This group can be comprised of people who feel committed to the creation of the garden and have the time to devote to it, at least at this initial stage. Choose well-organized persons as garden coordinators Form committees to tackle specific tasks: funding and partnerships, youth activities, construction and 

communication. 

          3. IDENTIFY ALL YOUR RESOURCES 

Do a community asset assessment. What skills and resources already exist in the community that can aid in the garden’s creation? Contact local municipal planners about possible sites, as well as horticultural societies and other local sources of information and assistance. Look within your community for people with experience in landscaping and gardening.  In Toronto contact the Toronto Community Garden Network. 

          4. APPROACH A SPONSOR 

Some gardens "self-support" through membership dues, but for many, a sponsor is essential for donations oftools, seeds or money.  Churches, schools, private businesses or parks and recreation departments are all possible supporters. One garden raised money by selling "square inches" at $5 each to hundreds of sponsors.

          5. CHOOSE A SITE 

Consider the amount of daily sunshine (vegetables need at least six hours a day), availability of water, and soil testing for possible pollutants. Find out who owns the land. Can the gardeners get a lease agreement for at least three years? Will public liability insurance be necessary? 

          6. PREPARE AND DEVELOP THE SITE     

In most cases, the land will need considerable preparation for planting. Organize volunteer work crews to clean it, gather materials and decide on the design and plot arrangement. 

          7. ORGANIZE THE GARDEN 

Members must decide how many plots are available and how they will be assigned. Allow space for storing tools, making compost and don’t forget the pathways between plots! Plant flowers or shrubs around the garden's edges to promote good will with non-gardening neighbors, passersby and municipal authorities. 

          8. PLAN FOR CHILDREN 

Consider creating a special garden just for kids--including them is essential. Children are not as interested in the size of the harvest but rather in the process of gardening. A separate area set aside for them allows them to  explore the garden at their own speed.   

          9. DETERMINE RULES AND PUT THEM IN WRITING 

The gardeners themselves devise the best ground rules. We are more willing to comply with rules that we have had a hand in creating. Ground rules help gardeners to know what is expected of them. Think of it as a code of behavior. Some examples of issues that are best dealt with by agreed upon rules are: dues, how will the money be used? . How are plots assigned? Will gardeners share tools, meet regularly, handle basic maintenance? 

          10. HELP MEMBERS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER 

Good communication ensures a strong community garden with active participation by all. Some ways to do this are: form a telephone tree, create an email list; install a rainproof bulletin board in the garden; have regular  celebrations. Community gardens are all about creating and strengthening communities."

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Community is a phenomena that begins at home and spreads. The sense, the feeling of being a part of a community is by itself a reason for living.

Thanks again for reading! Pass it on!

Pass me the potatoes.

Arthur

________________________________________

May I Help You?

         If you're not  part of the solution, you're part of the problem

So.......How can you help?

Start at Home

 Make a list before shopping.  Don't over buy. If you have a garden,  improve your soil by saving your peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds and table scraps and make your own compost pile. Composting is not complicated.  You make the pile. Nature does the rest. No garden?  Find out if there is a public composting program in your area.  Buy fresh fruits and vegetables locally. In season, patronize farmer's markets. The vendors more often than not donate of their end-of-day left overs  to organizations  and food banks which collect and then distribute these items to those who truly are in need.

Get Involved

Look for volunteer opportunities in your area.  In an earlier post, I mentioned that I volunteer regularly at Loaves and Fishes,   loaves.org  in downtown Ithaca, NY. The ages of the volunteer staff members range from six to eighty-six and together we prepare lunch three times a week and dinner twice a week....  up to 150 people partake of each meal. Many of our guests are also volunteering. There is always something that needs doing. There is an amazing sense of community at Loaves and Fishes. Our guests partake of nourishing meals prepared and served with love. There is probably at least  one organization of this kind in your area. Seek it out and sign up to help! Can you cook?.... Peel and chop and onion?.... Wash Dishes? Volunteering enriches both your life and the lives of those you serve.

Food Banks

Food banks are all around you...... Some operate from church basements, others from large warehouses. They all need donations of food, money for operating expenses and people  to help with distribution.  The need for this food has long exceeded the supply. Can you drive a truck? A forklift? Do you possess clerical skills? 

"By Judy Keen, USA TODAY

Donations to many of the USA's food banks are not keeping pace with growing demand as the sour economy forces more people to seek help, charitable organizations say.

"We have seen a 100% increase in demand in the last year … and food donations have dropped precipitously," says Dana Wilkie, CEO of the Community Food Bank in Fresno, Calif............

Nationally, donations are up about 18%, but demand has grown 25%-40%, says Vicki Escarra of Feeding America, the USA's largest hunger-relief charity. Feeding America, formerly America's Second Harvest, has a network of 206 food banks.About 70% of new clients are making their first visit to a food bank, Escarra says.

Problems elsewhere:

•Denver:  The Salvation Army food bank turned away 198 people last month, says Maj. Neal Hogan. Red kettle donations there are about the same as last year's so far, he says — not enough to offset growing needs.

•Knoxville, Tenn.:  "What we're seeing now is very scary," says Elaine Streno of the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, which supplies food to 300 agencies in 18 counties.

"Our community is very generous, but when you don't have it, you can't give it," she says

•Manchester, N.H.:  The New Hampshire Food Bank has distributed 4.6 million pounds of food to 370 agencies statewide so far this year, up from 3.7 million pounds over the same period in 2007, says development director Anne Dalton.

•Toledo, Ohio:  Demand is up 12%-15% and donations are not increasing, says Jim Caldwell, president of the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, which serves 250 agencies in eight counties. Next year "promises to be even more arduous," he says.

•Peoria, Ill.:  Demand is up 50% at many of the 125 agencies in eight counties served by the Peoria Area Food Bank, says director Barb Shreves.

•Visalia, Calif.:  FoodLink for Tulare County asks the community to help provide holiday meals to 5,000 of the area's neediest families. This year, 9,200 families already have applied, says executive director Sandy Beals. Food supplies are down 45% from a year ago; demand is up 30%, and people are being turned away.

Photo by Elaine Thompson AP "

Source: http://feedingamerica.org/

Here is a link  (from the same site where I found the USA Today article) to an extensive list of food banks all across the country, listed state by state along with interesting statistical information about each one:  http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx

Thanks again for reading Free the Food

Love Food Not Waste

Hearty Appetites!

Arthur

Welcome!

2//25/11

Welccome to Free the Food......  Our mission: To increase the public's awareness of the shocking amounts of food and water that is wasted each day not only in America, but around world.
All future posts will contain statistics (along with links to their source), related news articles, suggestions about volunteering with organizations dedicated to the equitable distribution of food in your community, and images that are worth thousands of words.

Here we go.......

To refer to any establishment or that feeds the hungry as a "soup kitchen" is to denigrate its patrons.

"63 of emergency food program clients have a high school or college education" 
"23 million Americans rely on emergency food assistance"
 Source: http://www.foodbankcny.


I am one of many volunteers at Loaves and Fishes, a community kitchen in Ithaca, NY that serves nutritious meals to hundreds of people from all walks of life. At Loaves, there is no criteria for admission. ALL are welcome.  Lunch is served monday, wednesday and friday; dinner tuesday and thursday. Learn more about this exemplary organization at:  loaves.org

Waste not......


"40% of all the food produced in the US is thrown out."  "Food is the third largest waste stream after paper and yard waste."   "Food waste accounts for more than a quarter of freshwater consumption....... 300 million barrels annually."  
Source: http://www.greenlivingtips.com/blogs/491/Food-waste-statistics.html


Want not.....

Do you know of any individual or family who is in need of food?  Programs abound......  Get involved.... discuss this issue with your neighbors..... your children.... their children.  There is no need for anyone to go hungry.  EVER. The solution to world hunger is only a matter of distribution.

Why not?......

Start locally. Imagine globally.

Your comments invited.
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Thanks for reading........ Tell a friend

Arthur Dubrul Daniels