Arizona Partnership to End Childhood Hunger

HUNGER IN ARIZONA & U.S. REACHES CRISIS LEVELS IN 2012

lcarter17 — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 05:14:28 +0000

The problem of hunger in America is rapidly approaching crisis levels, affecting a great many people in a drastic and dangerous way. Then why isn’t it receiving more widespread attention? Hunger has become an ever-increasing problem following the start of the economic recession in 2008, largely attributable to job losses. Those in rural areas where jobs are more scarce have been hit the hardest. We are nearing a crucial tipping point as food prices escalate and more people rely on government assistance and charities for food. Looming budget cuts to government-assistance programs and food subsidies weigh heavily on the minds of many Americans. Yet, there is no nationwide dialogue about the problem of huger and food-insecurity in the U.S.

Today in the United States one out of every five people is hungry or food-insecure. One in five Americans don’t have enough food to eat, or don’t know how and where their next meal will be provided.

According to Harvey Grady, food-security advocate and founder of Verde Food Council which addresses hunger in Yavapai County, “The United Nations declares a famine in a country when one-third of its population is deemed food-insecure. Current national poverty statistics, which tend to only describe the bulk of the population in large cities, show that one in five people are in poverty on the national level. In Arizona, the statistics for Phoenix and Tucson show one in four people are hungry and living in poverty. And that number is creeping towards one in three, particularly in Arizona’s rural counties where jobs are so hard to find.”

Despite these frightening statistics, there is very little media coverage or national discussion about the American hunger crisis. Cities and towns that rely heavily on tourism for economic survival don’t want to advertise their struggles with hunger or poverty at the risk of driving away potential tourist revenue. City councils and state officials don’t want to publicly acknowledge hunger in their communities for fear of negatively impacting economic development and future business growth. And so hunger remains our nation’s hidden shame.

“Hungry and food-insecure people aren’t deadbeats,” explains Grady. “They’re children, senior citizens, single moms, the low-income-working-poor, and people who have lost their jobs because of the economy.”

Perhaps what’s most bothersome is the deficit of federal focus on the hunger crisis. There is no national food council in the U.S., no federal plans or policies to address hunger or the immediate and future need for food. That job is left to the states, and very few have risen to the challenge. In Arizona, the only government agency addressing the food crisis is the Department of Economic Security.

Of course we have food banks, but are they sufficiently addressing the problem? At present, there are thousands of food banks in the U.S. providing food assistance, but only about a hundred food councils. During 2011, United Food Bank of Arizona distributed 19 million pounds of food. St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance reports food box distribution for Maricopa County is at an all-time high, and other smaller food banks around the state report similar statistics.

Even so, food banks only provide a “band-aid” to hunger rather than creating a long-term solution. Most operate largely on charitable donations with limited financial and human resources. They’re staffed mainly by part-time volunteers, many of whom are senior citizens or young volunteers, often inexperienced at managing large-scale food distributions. And because many food banks are established and managed by churches and other faith-based organizations, limited effort is made to coordinate with each other to address the bigger picture with long-term solutions.

Our federal government must step up by developing food plans and policies that address the larger issues: where does our food come from; who grows or produces which types of food; how is food distributed; and how much does food cost the consumer. With just a quick glance at food prices, it’s easy to see that low-income workers and those in poverty are excluded from purchasing many foods, particularly those deemed the most healthy, like organic fruits and vegetables.

How do we go about reducing the number of hungry people in our communities? One of the easiest and most obvious places to begin is at the local level.

Food banks must begin working in partnership to gain a broader view of the problem in their communities, and to develop more realistic assessments that lead to long-term solutions.
Communities must demand more co-operative gardens and school gardening programs so that these become the norm, not the exception.
State and national policies must also be developed to address food sourcing, escalating food prices, and food distribution.
Greater emphasis must be placed on sustainable agriculture, and there must be more discussion about the legislation sponsored by large corporations designed to prevent local farmers from supplying their own communities.
Most importantly, more jobs must be created, with greater emphasis in rural areas, so that people can afford to buy food.

“It’s a very daunting problem, but I feel good about what we can do at the local level,” says Grady. “It’s in the local arena that we have the best chance of making a difference. When we strategize in Yavapai County, we don’t just talk about food. We think of ideas that will help individuals get jobs, not just temporary jobs but jobs that provide economic sustainability. We think in terms of helping struggling businesses.”

In his never-ending battle against hunger and food insecurity, Grady and the Verde Food Council are working to involve the Arizona Departments of Health Services and Education with community organizations in finding solutions. The council also plans to develop a speaker’s bureau that will educate local businesses, schools and government agencies about the hunger crisis in Arizona. And he continues to work with local food banks to persuade them to move beyond their current operational methods.

“Instead of just handing a family a pre-selected box of items, food banks like St. Mary’s and United Food Bank let people choose what they will eat from the food stores they have available. But instead of being proactive, the entire system is still taking a very reactive approach. They’re doing the best with what they have, and the quality of the food they offer has improved in recent years due to funding increases. If we could develop a link between local farmers and local food banks, it would be a very positive step towards in the right direction,” Grady reports.

For more information about hunger and food-insecurity in Arizona and how you can help:

EndChildHungerinAZ.org
AZDES.gov
VerdeFood.org
FirstFoodBank.org (St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance)
UnitedFoodBank.org

Ending Childhood Hunger in Yavapai County

lcarter17 — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 03:33:22 +0000

What does it take to end child hunger in Yavapai County? Cornucopia Community Advocates, under the direction of President Harvey Grady, have compiled an in-depth report on child hunger and food resources available through Yavapai County schools, child care providers and community.

With a small grant from the Arizona Community Foundation, Cornucopia Community Advocates conducted the 2011-12 Yavapai Child Hunger Survey of child care providers and public schools in the county. The survey’s purpose was to determine current estimates of the prevalence of children who are going hungry, who are malnourished, overweight/obese and/or diabetic. What began as a simple count of hungry children grew into a dynamic action plan to reduce and eliminate child hunger in our county.

Cornucopia Community Advocates shares their findings in an comprehensive and informative report, “Ending Childhood Hunger in Yavapai County”, available for download.

Register Today – FREE event – “Caring for Our Children and Youth” in Phoenix on October 5, 2012

apech — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:28:19 +0000

A one day summit will be held at Living Streams Church in Phoenix on October 5, 2012 called “Caring for Our Children and Youth – when hungry, when in foster care, when in school.” The event will feature keynote speakers ArizonaSERVES Chair Dr. Terry M. Crist and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. Practical workshops and community solutions all designed for connecting the faith community to the needs of our children in youth.

Primary focus will be given to childhood hunger, foster care, and “adopting” schools.

Who should attend?

Organization/Ministry leaders looking for greater impact
Individuals and families looking for greater impact
Anyone who is looking to help hungry children
Anyone who is looking to help foster children and their families
Anyone who is looking to help children along side of school administrators and teachers
Anyone interested in better connections to existing systems of care for children

While the event is FREE, registration is required.

Childhood hunger is key focus of October 5th Summit in Phoenix

apech — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:00:19 +0000

“Caring for Our Children and Youth – when hungry, when in foster care, when in school” will be held in central Phoenix on October 5, 2012. Please put this on your calendar! Here’s the Save-the-Date flier.

Connecting caring community members and their organizations to systems of care that support children is the whole purpose of this one day summit. The Agenda will be packed with community experts and keynote speakers, all for strengthening and creating solutions for ending childhood hunger, supporting foster children and serving children in their schools. Look for more information in the coming days and weeks.

The childhood hunger tract will feature: Connecting Families to Resources, Feeding Children in School, Access to Great Nutrition, and Successful Community Solutions.

Here’s the Save-the-Date flier

Future of Food – Arizona

apech — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 13:00:40 +0000

The “Future of Food” breakfast at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, Arizona, highlighted local programs and partnerships working to improve access to healthy food. State and local officials as well as nutrition, agriculture and other experts focused on the best ideas, innovations and initiatives for providing more equitable access to nutritious food, particularly for children.

Allen Ng, Administrator, Western Regional Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Will Humble, Director, Arizona Department of Health
Mary Szafrankski, Deputy Associate Superintendent, Health and Nutrition Services, Arizona Department of Education
Cindy Gentry, State Lead, Community Food Connections
David Schwake, Food Service Director, Litchfield Elementary School District
Robert Ojeda, Vice President, Community Food Resource Center, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

Here are videos of the panel discussions.

Ways to Help End Child Hunger in Arizona

apech — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 16:20:28 +0000

Educate Yourself, Your Family, Your Community
Send a Note – Tell a Friend
Participate in a Food Co-Op
Help Families with www.healthearizona.org
Help the Helpers
Conduct Food Preparation Classes
Host a Kid’s Café
Connect Families to www.arizonaselfhelp.org
Host Summer Feeding Program
Create a Vegetable Garden
Meal Scholarships for Youth
Teach & Encourage Container Gardening
Who’s Hungry in Your Community?
Plug into an Elementary School
Organize a Drive or Fundraiser
Teach Nutrition
Healthy Snacks Only Please!
Social Media for Storytelling
Friday Backpacks
Distribute Food Where Children Gather
Project FEED
Kids Eat Free Nights
Partner in the Business Community

Got ideas? Let us hear what you’re doing at info@endchildhungeraz.org

Ways to Help End Child Hunger (PDF)

Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

apech — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 23:10:17 +0000

Jamie Oliver gives a TED Talk on obesity in the United States, and gives viewers common sense recommendations for alleviating this problem. If the video does not work properly, please view it at this web address: http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

Feeding America Report reveals Arizona Children Struggle with Hunger

admin team — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 23:10:05 +0000

Map the Meal Gap Interactive Map reveals that over 466,000 children in Arizona are food insecure. This report shows that children in every county and congressional district in America are at risk of hunger.

Shamrock Family Farms Partners with the Arizona Partnership to End Childhood Hunger

admin team — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:46:57 +0000

Rethink Breakfast, Help Feed Children in Need

One in five Americans, or about 60 million people, do not eat or drink anything in the morning before 11 a.m., according to a new analysis by The NPD Group; and millions more opt for nutrient-poor choices on the run. This is despite the fact that studies repeatedly show that skipping breakfast makes it nearly impossible to achieve adequate daily intakes of key nutrients.

Are you the one in those five? If so, we want to help you rethink breakfast! There are many reasons why breakfast should be a part of your day:

Recharge your brain & body – studies show that breakfast helps you concentrate, focus and gives you energy to tackle the day. It helps kids learn and behave better in the classroom.
Achieve & maintain a healthy weight – people who skip breakfast actually end up eating more calories throughout the day and tend to weigh more.
Be a role model – children and teens are most likely to skip breakfast, which is devastating to their health. If you make it a priority, they will follow your lead.
Bond with your family – although mornings can be chaotic, all you need is a few minutes to eat together so you can bond and feel good knowing your kids are getting off to a right start.

In choosing healthy options for breakfast, milk makes the meal. Milk is the most naturally nutritious drink you could have, with nine essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium and vitamin D, three nutrients that the USDA says Americans need more of. It’s also packed with protein to stay full and satisfied. Plain and simple, it’s not breakfast without Shamrock Farms milk and here’s a few quick ways you can incorporate milk into breakfast:

Have milk with whole-grain cereal
Make oatmeal with milk instead of water
Make pancakes with milk instead of water
Make a smoothie with milk and fruit
Enjoy a glass with whole-wheat toast and almond butter
Grab a single-serve milk and cereal bar

Kids are the population most affected by missing the critical nutrients breakfast and milk can provide. To encourage your family, and all Arizona families, to start off your day right with milk for breakfast, Shamrock Farms is celebrating National Breakfast Week by visiting Phoenix-area schools and serving milk and whole-grain cereal to kids. Our celebration is inspired by the new “got milk?” Breakfast Project campaign to help Americans change their view on breakfast. Check out their website for tons of tips and recipes for breakfast.

And we’re taking it a step further. While most vulnerable children have access to free or reduced cost breakfast at school through the school year, options are limited during the summer. In an effort to supplement summer breakfast programs, we’re hosting a Facebook “Like” drive to earn servings of milk for children in need. For every new Facebook user to “Like” Shamrock Farms from now until April 30, one 8-oz serving of nutrient-rich milk, up to 10,000 servings, will be donated to the Arizona Partnership to End Childhood Hunger, which in turn will distribute the milk to affiliated summer breakfast programs throughout the state.

If you’re not a Shamrock Farms fan on Facebook, please like us now and help us achieve our fundraising goal. And tomorrow, rethink your breakfast and make the right choice!

Arizona Food Bank Network Conference Save The Date April 25, 2012

admin team — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:44:43 +0000

Meeting the Need in Challenging Times: The Arizona Food Bank Network Conference

Wednesday, April 25, 2012
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (registration opens at 7:30 a.m.)
Location: Vineyard Church North Phoenix
(NE corner of Peoria & 63rd Avenues in Glendale, AZ)
No Registration Fee

RSVP Today!
This information-packed conference is a must for food banks and emergency food providers, anti-hunger advocates and organizations, the faith community, and many others. Get the latest information you need, be motivated and inspired by the efforts to serve Arizonans struggling with hunger and poverty, and network with your peers. Make plans to join us today!