by Jody Tick, Harvest for Health Program Director.
This post is part of a series on nutritious food donations. Also in the series: Addressing Donation Challenges and On Food & Nutrition.
The Capital Area Food Bank is well known for the food it distributes to the community, but our programs also address issues of nutrition to help empower individuals to eat for health.
The inherent nature of most food banks is to accept donations of all types of food products for those in need, regardless of the nutritional value. What we at the CAFB struggle with is that what we teach about healthy eating and nutritional standards doesn’t always match up with the food we provide. And no one understands this better than the kids we serve. Through our Farm Youth Initiative summer program, we teach a nutrition themed class for children at local community organizations which is followed up by a hands-on farm experience so that the children will learn and understand how their food choices affect personal and environmental health. The kids have said, “You are teaching us this, but these are the snacks you gave us.”
How can our programs truly be effective and have impact if the food we provide doesn’t match the material we teach? We are stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. As the CAFB, we provide food to about 700 organizations in the metropolitan area that operate as food pantries, soup kitchens, and after school programs at community organizations, among others. Like many food organizations, we accept and welcome any and every donation; without the generosity of donations, we would fail to exist. At the same time, however, we as a society seem to have accepted that those in need should be thankful to eat whatever is given to them even if it is high calorie, low nutrient and highly processed.
I would like to believe that food organizations, like food banks, can and should evolve to develop nutritional standards for the donations they accept so that those they serve will receive food that provides them with the wherewithal to become self reliant again. This is a paradigm shift that will require a concerted effort from all who participate in the system including clients, service organizations, and those that donate to and fund these organizations.
Jody Tick is the Harvest for Health Program Director at the Capital Area Food Bank. Harvest for Health seeks to facilitate access to affordable, healthy food; educate about the relationship between the food system, our environment, and social justice; and provide skill building opportunities for people to help themselves.
May 30, 2008
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
May 29, 2008
Childhood Obesity Gets Complicated
Some kids are happy to be outside.I stumbled upon this blog entry by Ona Balkus, one of the writers for A Generous Helping (the blog run by Operation Frontline). Some of our loyal readers might remember Ona from a post she wrote for us earlier this month. Talking about the need for more conversation on childhood obesity, Ona writes:
However, the Post series also affirms the need for larger, systemic improvements in our national food system. Even with education and a will to change, parents are still raising a generation of children awash in junk food commercials, afraid to play outside, cut off from sufficient P.E. classes and relying on vending machines as their main food source at school. This needs to be a policy priority in all levels of government through a variety of means, including education, marketing, food subsidies, and financial aid.
I often forget how important safe outdoor spaces are to our discussion of childhood obesity. I think it's on Jay-Z's Black Album that he has him mom testify that she bought him a boombox so he would stay inside. Or, I think she says, "that was my way to keep him close to me, and out of trouble." It comes as a surprise to no one that the poorest neighborhoods are also the least secure, and that less security means more drug traffic and more gang influence, two things a parent would (I imagine) want to avoid.
Coupled with video games that can offer limitless distraction, I'm sure the amount of time kids spend outside is far less than many would like. It hadn't occurred to me that some of these bad habits are actually encouraged by parents who are afraid of something worse outside.
I don't know if there's a quick fix for that.
May 28, 2008
Rebuilding Southeast
One of the first posts we ever did was talking about the lack of grocery stores in Southeast, but I still don't think that we really nailed down exactly why this is such a huge problem. Joni from SOME warned that there are only three full-service grocery stores in Wards 7 and 8 (encompassing the neighborhoods across the Anacostia river), and Stacey (our Advocacy Director) estimated that it shakes out to a grocery store every 47,000 residents. This is compared to a grocery store every 11,000 people in Northwest.
Why is this such a big deal? A group of five George Washington University students did a study, talking with some of Bread for the City's clients about what their major concerns were. Time and again people said that they weren't able to get to a grocery store easily, and that once they did, often times the shelves were understocked. One person commented that it wasn't worth the trip around the 1st or 15th of the month because there wouldn't be any food. At least four people mentioned empty shelves at Safeway.
Ease of travel, as it turns out, is a really big deal. Have you ever tried taking all of your family's weekly groceries on a bus? It doesn't work all that great when you have a big family.
Instead of taking their chances with a long bus ride to a grocery store that might not have food, many residents decide to either go to the more expensive corner store or pick up fast food. Sharon Gruber, our nutrition consultant, just wrote about one of the many dangers of fast food portions (to say nothing of the nutritional value of those meals). It probably won't surprise you to learn that though there are only 3 grocery stores across the river, there are over 20 fast food and carry-out joints in Anacostia alone. The result? Low-income residents are spending more money for less healthy food, forcing higher obesity and diabetes rates in these communities.
A lack of infrastructure also means that these areas will stay low-income because no reasonable person with means would want to subject themselves to not having reliable access to resources. The number one indicator of neighborhood infrastructure is grocery stores, just as the number one indicator of poverty is lack of access to food. I'm very serious when I say stopping hereditary poverty in Southeast starts with solving access to grocery stores.
*Photo used courtesy of shawnblog.
May 27, 2008
A Nutrition Minute With Sharon Gruber: Watching Waistlines
by Sharon Gruber, Nutrition Consultant.
The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years. And during the same time, average portion sizes have kept up the pace, getting bigger year by year, matching our growing waistlines.
Here are a few eye-opening examples:
Today's 6-inch bagel has 350 calories. This is 210 more calories than the 3-inch bagel of 20 years ago. A 130-pound person would have to rake leaves for 50minutes to burn off the bagel of today.
The typical fast food cheeseburger served today has 590 calories. This is 257 more calories than the cheeseburger of 20 years ago. It would take 1 1/2 hours of weight lifting for a 130-pound person to burn off that burger.
Today's portion of spaghetti and meatballs has 1,025 calories. This includes 2 cups of pasta with sauce and 3 large meatballs -- and 525 more calories than a portion 20 years ago. 2 hours and 35 minutes of housecleaning would burn off such a deluxe portion.
Researchers have found that people feel “piggish”ordering more food at a restaurant, so instead, the restaurants have increased portion size, making us as customers feel like we’re getting a good deal, when we’re actually getting more than we need. We’re spending more money on low-quality restaurant food that we don’t need and less money on simpler, healthier food we prepare in our own homes.
And we really don’t need a cupboard of spices and oils to make healthy, tasty food at home. Here are a few staple ingredients for preparing food with lots of flavor: vinegar, lemon juice, cinnamon, garlic.
The last two are especially health-promoting. Sprinkling cinnamon on starches and grains (for example, oatmeal and pumpkin) helps slow the release of sugar into the blood stream. Cinnamon is a great friend to the diabetic or someone at risk of diabetes. And garlic, as well as its relatives in the allium family (onion, scallions), are very heart-healthy. Studies show that they dilate blood vessels to lower blood pressure.
If you've got to have that spaghetti and meatballs at a restaurant, though, or that cheeseburger just seems like something you can't do without, then don't forget about the increase in portion size. Save some for later, and at the very least, drink water instead of soda or juice, make sure your side dish is a salad (instead of fries), and ask for whole wheat instead of white flour. Then enjoy. If you're eating it, you might as well!
Food for Thought
by Laura Rusu, Senior Press Officer at Oxfam America.
I must admit that as a lifelong progressive, it has been odd to find myself on the same side as President Bush.
I'm speaking of course of the Farm Bill. By sprinkling enough money across the landscape to secure votes, Congress was able to pass the bill without addressing much needed reform. So I found myself cheering Bush's veto.
Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about the bill. Over half of the funding for the Farm Bill goes to domestic nutrition programs that are critical for America's poor, especially given the economic downturn and the increases in food prices we are currently experiencing. Although I, too cheer for the increases for programs for nutrition, Congress failed to reform the programs that dole out billions of dollars in subsidies to large industrial sized farms, doing little for family farms and rural America, while hurting poor farmers abroad.
Devised during the Great Depression, the Farm Bill was designed to give American farmers a safety net when the market bottomed out. Today's Farm Bill gives out large government payments to producers of a small number of crops. Only a quarter of America's farmers receive subsidies- yet, for those who do, the benefits flow largely to a small minority of producers in states whose elected officials fiercely protect their handouts from their seats on the agriculture committees in the House and the Senate. Smaller farmers--particularly farmers of color--face even bigger challenges in trying to make a living from farming.
Through these "commodity subsidies," taxpayers actually provide the funds that enable the biggest producers to gobble up smaller farms, driving land prices up and making it difficult for family farmers to afford to stay in business, and nearly impossible for beginning farmers just starting out. And despite decades of farm program payments, economic researchers have been unable to establish that these payments help sustain farm-based communities.
To make matters worse, subsidies actually hurt poor farmers in developing countries. By encouraging the overproduction of crops such as cotton, some agriculture subsidies actually create a glut that drives down world prices, undermining the livelihoods of millions of small farmers around the world.
According to a study by economist Dan Sumner UC Davis, reforming the cotton subsidy program could substantially improve the welfare of West African cotton farmers by increasing their incomes by 8-20 percent. For families living on $1 a day, this is a substantial benefit and translates to more money for food, medicines, and school fees.
We at Oxfam have worked together with a diverse group of allies to reach out to Americans to get involved in the debate and call for needed reforms. Across the country, from the left and the right, from San Francisco to Des Moines, Americans have spoken out in favor of changing a system that rewards those who need help the least.
But Congressional Republicans and Democrats fought to the bone to prevent any meaningful reforms to subsidies.
At a time when America confronts a growing global food and financial crisis, as well as a weak domestic economy, can we afford a Farm Bill that rewards those who need help the least?
Laura Rusu is Senior Press Officer at Oxfam America, a non-profit organization working toward a just world without poverty. Working in 26 countries in 7 regions, Oxfam America addresses aid reform, global trade, worker's rights, access to natural resources (and many more), while also providing emergency assistance in disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the cyclone in Myanmar.
May 23, 2008
Beyond Bread: What's New in DC's Blogs
Jay did an amazing job pulling together a list of a bunch of local food banks, sending out a call for donations--finance news
Kate Perkins gives an intimate story of her experiences with the homeless--Wanderings and Wonderings
The Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers has a link to a radio interview we did--Washington Grantmaker's Daily
An area man takes us through the process of trying to dry a pair of pants--Homeless N Jobless N Hungry in DC
DG-rad keeps us up to date on HGTV's progress (or lack thereof) as they build a playground in Anacostia--And Now, Anacostia
Becky Handforth teaches low-income residents how to eat healthy and leaves a tasty recipe--A Generous Helping
The Farm Bill Becomes Law
A surprising turn of events. The Washington Post reports that House parliamentarian John Sullivan was able to find historical precedent for overriding the veto even though a section of the bill was missing. Based on his assessment (and others), the Senate voted to override and passed the Farm Bill with a resounding 82-13 decision. The missing section (the trade regulations in Title III) will be voted through as a separate bill after the Memorial recess.
That means it's over--this poor, shuffling, beat up bill is now law!
May 22, 2008
BFC in the News
Everyone's talking about the state of the economy and how it's affecting everything from food prices to jobs to non-profit fundraising.
While it's great that these critical issues are being discussed (and it's kind of cool that Bread for the City is in USA Today), we're looking forward to a time when all of our media coverage doesn't include the words "uncertain" ... "struggling" ... "needy" and "hungry"...
Here's a wrap-up of Bread for the City in the media from the past couple of weeks:
Listen: "DC Area Non-profits Plan for Uncertain Future" 5/21/2008, WAMU Radio 88.5 FM
Listen: "Non-profits are Struggling to Keep Up with Increasing Demand for Services" 5/20/08, WAMU Radio 88.5 FM
"New Breed of American Emerges in Need of Food" 5/19/08, USA Today
"Food-Stuffed Buses Drive Home Plight of the Needy" 5/15/08, The Washington Post
"On Food Stamps and Still Hungry" 5/07/08, CNNMoney.com
Congressional Oversight Destroys Hopes, Dreams
Don't ask me why I was watching C-SPAN last night as the House tried to override President Bush's veto, but I was. Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) was the first to bring up a small, unimportant, microscopic problem: their vote wasn't Constitutional!
As the Minority Leader pointed out, Title III of the Farm Bill, 34 pages of legislation covering domestic and foreign aid and whether the Executive had the authority to buy food internationally and sell it in the country of origin (or in this case the lack of authority) was utterly forgotten because of--and you'll never believe this--a clerical error. No one checks these things?
The Bill was locked up. Congress had a great plan to embarass our President. The House was meeting late in the night so that they could prove for all to see that President Bush's veto couldn't, even for one day, stop a bill from passing into law. What they ended up with is a testament to the gross incompetence that has become synonymous with both parties in Congress. Now they're going to have to vote the whole Farm Bill through both houses, have the President veto it, and then vote to override again.
And here people were chiding me for saying the Farm Bill would never pass.
May 21, 2008
2007 Farm Bill Vetoed
Since I wrote about this anticipated veto a little bit ago, I can't say I was shocked by President Bush's press release today that he had officially sent H.R. 2419 back to the House. You can read in full the President's rationale for the veto, and I'll also leave what I think is the most important argument right on this blog:
We'll lay aside that the actual gross income cap is 1.2 million ($500,000 maximum from the farm, and $700,000 maximum out-of-farm), and just work on the Executive's general impression that this number is too high. Agreed, though I wouldn't stop the bill over that, especially since the cap is down from 2002.At a time when net farm income is projected to increase by more than $28 billion in 1 year, the American taxpayer should not be forced to subsidize that group of farmers who have adjusted gross incomes of up to $1.5 million. When commodity prices are at record highs, it is irresponsible to increase government subsidy rates for 15 crops, subsidize additional crops, and provide payments that further distort markets. Instead of better targeting farm programs, this bill eliminates the existing payment limit on marketing loan subsidies.
It's also true that commodity prices are at record highs, and that subsidies are a part of that. By 2012, maybe we will be able to foster enough agricultural production in growing economies globally that we won't need subsidies to pad our market. We aren't there yet, and it is a little odd to hear President Bush make an argument for liberalisation of the US market.
Two good points, Mr. President, but is it really so bad that you simply couldn't stomach it?
Obesity on the Front Page of the Post
by Dr. Randi Abramson, Medical Clinic Director.
Obesity is a problem that just won't go away. The recent series in the Washington Post has been interesting to read, and a reminder that there is no quick fix to this problem.
I have always thought that Bread for the City has a unique compliment of services--health care and food--under one roof. And we must both model good choices and be agents of change when it comes to nutrition for our clients.
Food has an immense impact on health. We, as an organization, must model good choices for nutritious food--less fat, less salt, more vegetables are messages that everyone should follow. We talk about healthy food choices during the patient's medical visit, offer healthier choices in the food bag, and provide information through hand-outs and recipe ideas of how to eat healthier and stay in a budget. Having a nutritionist on staff to provide both staff and clients with guidance has been a great addition to our nutrition message.
But Bread for the City is not simply an agency to provide services to "fill in the gap." If we only provided a bag of groceries for clients for 3 days...we would still feel our work was not done. We need to have our patients see healthy food choices in their bags so they can make better choices the other 27 days of the month. The more we send out the correct message, the more we talk about obesity and healthy food choices, the more we challenge our clients to think about their health every day, the more likely these ideas will move into action.
As the Washington Post pointed out, obesity effects everyone. But there are unique challenges for the obese who are also poor. Working your way out of poverty starts with good health and healthy eating.
May 19, 2008
The Global Food Crisis: How Bad Can it Get?
Really bad.
Two days ago IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) released a story from Sheberghan, Afghanistan stating that a man had sold one of his daughters for food. I don't think I need to tell anyone how disturbing that news is, but (to make matters worse) toward the end of the interview the man states that he only had two ways to get food for his wife and other three daughters: sell one of his children, or become a suicide bomber. I don't think we understand the urgency of the food crisis.
A month ago the Economist reported that roughly one billion people worldwide were living on $1 a day, the threshold for extreme poverty. About 3.5 million of those billion live in Afghanistan. Sheberghan is not a small city, nor is it in Hazarajat, the poorest region of Afghanistan. If stories like this are coming from a northern province, I can only imagine the devastation that is going on in the center. We're going to find that we're fighting against people who don't hate us at all, they're just feeding their starving families.
A Nutrition Minute with Sharon Gruber: Vegetable Peels
by Sharon Gruber, Nutrition Consultant.
As food prices climb, everyone clearly wants to get the most for their money. This is one tip that could help our health while we're at it. We would all do our bodies a whole lot of good if we scrubbed many of our food's skins and peels really well and ate them, since they're often the source of the darkest color, which typically translates to the most nutrients. Plus, they often are loaded with fiber, which helps us feel full.
So what skins and peels should we actually be eating? Cucumber peels? Yes, eat them. The chlorophyll that makes them green also is great for fortifying the blood. Potato skins and sweet potato skins? Full of minerals. Much more so than the inside. Lemon and lime peels? Yep, even them. We all could be zesting them and using the zest in baking and cooking. It's loaded with a compound that supports the liver.
Every day, we should try to get a rainbow of colors into our bodies, for example: a red tomato, an orange carrot, a yellow beet, a bunch of dark green kale, and a handful of blueberries. Spring is here, summer on its way, and the fruits and vegetables are just beautiful. Enjoy getting the most bang for your buck in the produce aisle!
May 15, 2008
Something Good Grows in Anacostia
“The Food Bank’s collective experience working in the east of the river community has shown that to change the current situation and increase community food security, all players have to make a commitment to make change a priority. This may sound rhetorical, but what I mean by this is that the community has to take ownership of its situation and want to change…”
Before
After
May 12, 2008
Planned 2008 harvest at Children of Mine Center:
Fruits and Vegetables: beets, cabbage, carrots, chard, collards, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, zucchini
Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, dill, lavender, mint
Flowers: foxglove, marigolds, nasturtiums, salvia, sunflowers, zinnias
Nadja Strucker is Harvest for Health Outreach Associate at the Capital Area Food Bank. Harvest for Health seeks to facilitate access to affordable, healthy food; educate about the relationship between the food system, our environment, and social justice; and provide skill building opportunities for people to help themselves.
May 14, 2008
How Education Helps End Hunger
by Ona Balkus, Assistant Coordinator for Operation Frontline.
In our work with Operation Frontline, we bring volunteer chefs and nutritionists into low-income communities to empower people to make better food choices on a limited budget. Through hands-on cooking and nutrition classes like this one hosted by Parklawn Family Center, we aim to alleviate hunger through education.
Amid children running around our feet and three languages being spoken in this small living room turned classroom, we discuss with these mothers how they can feed their families and themselves better in a new country. At Parklawn, we are working with mothers from El Salvador, Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Nepal.
The women have noticed their children gaining weight, and have heard that enticing American foods like brightly colored “fruit” drinks, cartoon-clad yogurt containers, and a 30 foot long cereal aisle might be the culprits. Hearing these women’s stories, I am continually struck with questions: Why should shopping for food be so hard? If you walk into a store with the intention of buying yogurt, meat, bread, and fruit juice for your family, why is it possible that you can leave with piles of sugar and oils in your cart while believing you have found all that you were looking for?
With rising food prices, the multitude of cheap, convenient food products has never been so tempting for low-income families. Through our classes, participants learn to avoid such foods that can harm their families’ health. We teach them how to read the nutrition facts behind the cartoon characters and the unit prices under the pre-sliced vegetables, with the goal that the next time they are at the supermarket, they leave the store with healthier food and a comparable, if not lower, grocery bill.
Of course, the food should also taste good, which is where volunteer chefs come in. At Parklawn, our chef Remke has created pita pizzas, vegetarian chili, and a roasted vegetable pasta with a “cream sauce” made of Greek yogurt and parmesan cheese. To our health!
Ona Balkus is the Assistant Coordinator for Operation Frontline at the Capital Area Food Bank. You can contact her at balkuso@cfoodbank.org or visit her blog about Operation Frontline DC
May 13, 2008
Bush Administration Will Veto Farm Bill
Congress Promises to Act Blameless
On May 9th, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schaefer told reporters, “I have visited face to face with the President. He was very clear and very direct. The President will veto this bill when he gets it.”
Well, we all saw that coming. The 2007 Farm Bill was already slouching when it was introduced in May 2007, and has received a barrage of verbal assaults from every interest group imaginable in the year since then. What better end to this poor, tortured bill then to have it dragged back through Congress for an encore performance?
I would like to think that the veto would, as we learned in middle school civics class, give Congress a chance to revisit those issues that were too extreme so that a bland, uncontroversial version can make it through a 2/3rds majority. But who are we kidding? “Bland” means easier to stomach, and in Congress that translates to bribing Senators and House Reps by funding their pet projects, pushing up the cost of a bill that already carries a 286 billion dollar price tag.
I understand that subsidies are going to millionaires. I understand that direct payments are being given across the board regardless of crop price. I understand that we need more money for the McGovern-Dole Program, nutrition for low-income residents, and decreased spending. The valid arguments are everywhere and the people making the arguments all sound right. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it as we ramp up for another Farm Bill in 2012. But on May 16th programs are going to start getting cut and the present Congressional/Presidential duo is already a year late getting its homework done. At some point you just have to stop and say that if no one is happy, it’s a sign of decent legislation.
The President will veto. That’s frustrating. But if Congress sends this thing into another tailspin once they get it back, that’s even worse.
May 12, 2008
Three Dollars a Day Can't Keep Hunger Away
Brian Duss, on staff at Bread for the World, recently decided to go on the Food Stamp Challenge, which asks people to live on $21 worth of food a week (the average food stamp benefit). Since our Executive Director, George Jones, also completed the challenge, Mr. Duss interviewed George for his podcast. It’s a good and informative podcast if you’d like to learn what a food stamps diet really is.
May 9, 2008
Another Nutrition Minute with Sharon Gruber
by Sharon Gruber, Nutrition Consultant.
A nutrition teacher of mine once cautioned our class that sugar is a white, powdery substance. She couldn't have been more on the money. I definitely have a sweet tooth, and many patients I see in the medical clinic at Bread for the City also need to overcome their love for sugar in order to help get healthier.
Fighting an urge for a certain food, or in some cases, an addiction to a certain food, is much harder than it's made out to be. With many non-food addictions, it's tough, but it is possible to totally avoid being around whatever it is that has you hooked. That's definitely not the case with food, and it's an especially difficult task with sugar.
It seems like sugar is in everything. Even foods that aren't sweet have a touch of sugar added just to fuel that urge for more. And to make matters worse, the sugar of choice by most food manufacturers these days is high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS is so highly processed and concentrated that it actually is sweeter than sugar. And the food manufacturers love pouring it in, since it also is cheaper. Today it accounts for 42 percent of sweeteners consumed in the US.
According to "Sugar Load: Are You High?", an article in April 22's Express Fit, from 1970 to 2000, the number of calories women ages 20-39 consumed each day jumped from 1,652 to 2,028. Coincides nicely with 1967's introduction of HFCS...
The first step in loosening sugar's hold on us it to cut back on soft drinks, source number one of HFCS. It is estimated that our love for drinking all things sweet accounts for one-quarter of the added sugars we put in our bodies.
Here are some sugar-busting tips:
- Dilute what you drink with water or ice.
- Try to switch from soda/pop to sparkling water (seltzer) with a splash of lemon or lime.
- Be sure to leave the house with a bottle full of water in hand. If you already have a drink with you, chances are you won't waste your money, and your body, on drinking all those calories.
- Each week cut out 1/4 teaspoon of sugar (or 1/4 packet of sugar alternative) from your coffee or tea.
- Read ingredients to avoid added sugar, corn syrup, or HFCS. Other words for sugar/sweeteners are maltose, dextrose, brown sugar, corn sweetener, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, honey, invert sugar, lactose, malt syrup, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, raw cane juice, and syrup.
Diet soda/juice isn't a solution I'm in favor of because like HFCS, all those sugar substitutes (Equal, Sweet 'n' Low) are also sweeter than sugar. They keep our taste buds wanting more and more sweet.
It isn't easy to break the sugar cycle even if you know that you should do it for your health. My personal experience is that a little knowledge can make you a bit upset at those food companies. And who wants to buy from a company that's not treating them right?
Beyond Bread: What's Going on in DC's Blogs
While watching a building being renovated close to our Southeast Center, DG Rad takes note of the cinder blocks--And Now, Anacostia.
One of Mari's many posts about Shaw history yields some neat pictures--In Shaw (an historically gentrified blog).
A Mayor Fenty sighting! As M. Fenty does a walk-through of Bloomingdale, IMGoph's articulate roommate is taking notes--bloomingdale (for now).
Is it possible to eat on $21 a week? Time to find out--Bread Blog.
Rob Godspeed talks about the need for social mapping and makes it sound really glamorous--The Godspeed Update.
May 8, 2008
Mystery Turns into Excitement: Claggett Farm Rumor Confirmed
The sky, just after being told that our clients will get fresh produce.The price tag for all of this? Roughly $3,450. I don't need to tell most of you that with prices of nutritious food so high, this deal is outstanding.
The best part, though, is that we get to provide our clients with fresh, organic, locally grown, and healthy food that, because it is so expensive in grocery stores, is often beyond their income level.
Or as Ted says, "That's pretty good. I'm excited about it."
A real picture from Claggett Farm, dog not included in produce purchases.
Look how happy that kid is!
Ted's happy, too!
A Message from Jeannine Sparks Some Sleuthing
Yesterday this cryptic but exciting message from our Deputy Director, Jeannine Sanford, was forwarded on to me:
Just wanted to let you know that Ted has figured out a way to get 15 shares of weekly produce from Claggett Farm delivered to us in NW every Tuesday afternoon for the next 18 or so weeks. We are buying it (not free) but it is a good deal and they have been very helpful and they helped us come up with the free delivery system. See Ted for more specifics.
This is not the first time that Ted has found a way to work miracles (last time I checked, he was able to get us roughly 2,120 free loaves of bread per month), but how did they work out free delivery, and what are we paying for these delicious shares? And what is a share, anyway? I’ll try to track down Ted and get back to you.
While I'm investigating, though, you can check out the Claggett Farm blog. Good stuff there. They seem like nice people.
May 7, 2008
Fighting for Food: Simple Solutions for DC
by Joni Podschun, Advocacy Associate at So Others Might Eat.
There’s a fairly simple list of things D.C. residents need to be healthy: money to consistently buy a nourishing diet; knowledge about healthy and nutritious cooking; and healthy, affordable food stores in their neighborhoods.
Right now, these are not a reality for one-third of D.C. residents who are at risk of or suffering from hunger. But a group of local food advocates have been working on a holistic response.
The federal nutrition programs help bridge the income gap for the 90,000 residents on Food Stamps and 15,000 on WIC. I won’t go into the problems with the low Food Stamps payment (did you hear about it through the Food Stamps Challenge ?), but more could be done to make sure people know if they’re eligible and how to apply.
The city also needs to bolster nutrition education, an essential part of any assistance program aiming for systemic change.
Lastly, there’s a problem with access to food. According to D.C. Hunger Solutions, Wards 2 and 3 in the Northwest part of D.C. have one grocery store for every 11,000 people while the area east of the Anacostia—Wards 7 and 8—have only three full-service grocery stores.
Healthy Affordable Food for All, a coalition of advocates, service providers, and local food activists, got together last fall and came up with the idea of a Fresh Food Opportunities Bank (FFOB) that would:
Enhance knowledge of federal nutrition programs.
Provide infrastructure at corner stores, non-profit feeding programs, and others to store and distribute fresh produce.
Expand funding opportunities to farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture programs, community gardens, and other programs to increase capacity to provide fresh, healthy, and local food to low-income communities.
Fund a supermarket development study.
Improve the nutritional content of the food served at before- and after-school programs.
Expand nutrition education efforts.
Every aspect of this initiative fosters economic development in low-income areas, whether for small and large food retailers, non-profit organizations, or the surrounding neighborhoods. Most of it could be accomplished through small grants to enhance a system of food delivery that’s already in place. We think it makes a lot of sense.
We circulated a letter with 80 signatories in support of the FFOB to Councilmembers this week and plan to visit between now and the Council vote on May 13th. If you think this is something that should be in the city budget for Fiscal Year 2009, please email the Councilmembers [membersonly@dccouncil.us] to tell them how you feel. We need your help to make this spectacular funding source a reality!
Joni Podschun is the Advocacy Associate at SOME (So Others Might Eat), and works on issues related to seniors, families, and access to healthy food. You can reach her at 202-797-8806 x. 2112 or jpodschun@some.org. For more information on SOME’s advocacy on food issues, please visit their website.
May 6, 2008
Put Your Cans in the Mail
May 5, 2008
BFC News (and in the news)
Bread for the City's spring newsletter is hitting mailboxes!
The feature article is called "Catching on to Nutrition," and it's about how BFC's food pantry is not just fighting poverty, but also taking major steps to improve the nutritional content of the groceries we distribute.
Ted Pringle, our food & clothing director, says: "We're trying to figure it out. There are a lot of options, but all of them are costly. When you talk about nutrition it's like going to Safeway versus going to Whole Foods. There's a big difference in price."
We also stuck an interesting fact box in there about how to figure out whether you're eating hidden trans fat... pretty sneaky stuff. Download the spring newsletter.
In other news, Bread for the City was in The Washington Post twice this weekend!
George Jones (our executive director) had an op-ed response to Council member David Catania's "Healthy DC" proposal, "Filling in The District's Gaps in Health Care." George is overwhelmingly positive about the proposal's plan to increase access to healthcare to low-income District residents, but cites a few concerns that he would like to see addressed, including a $250 penalty for those who don't participate. Read the full article.
Plus, BFC attorney Rebecca Lindhurst was quoted in the article "Fund Gives Tenants Little Relief."
The article states that: "The District's Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs has a lifeline for tenants living in dangerous conditions: a multimillion-dollar fund to repair buildings when owners refuse to do the work.
"But in a city vexed by dozens of distressed buildings, DCRA has rarely intervened. In the past three years, the agency spent $617,000 on repairs at neglected apartment buildings -- just 4 percent of the $16.5 million in the fund -- even while its inspectors chronicled rampant code violations at complexes across the city."
The article concludes:
"DCRA made a series of fixes, including replacing the hot water heater [at a building in NW]. But tenants' attorney Rebecca Lindhurst, with the nonprofit Bread for the City, said more work is needed. An entire ceiling is missing in one apartment, the heating system doesn't work, and the electricity is spotty, she said.
'What's the point of having a repair fund," she said, "if you don't use it for repairs?'" Read the full article.
Addressing Issues of Access in Washington, DC
by Jody Tick, Harvest for Health Program Director.
The Food Bank’s collective experience working in the east of the river community has shown that to change the current situation and increase community food security, all players have to make a commitment to make change a priority. This may sound rhetorical, but what I mean by this is that the community has to take ownership of its situation and want to change; the non-profit sector which provides services to the community has to collaborate to ensure that its programs are not duplicative and that they are making an impact by meeting the needs and wants of the community; and the District Government must make access to healthy foods a priority and provide support to agents of change to ensure lasting, sustainable solutions.
Jody Tick is the Harvest for Health Program Director at the Capital Area Food Bank. Harvest for Health seeks to facilitate access to affordable, healthy food; educate about the relationship between the food system, our environment, and social justice; and provide skill building opportunities for people to help themselves.
May 2, 2008
A Nutrition Minute with Sharon Gruber
by Sharon Gruber, Nutrition Consultant.
I started doing nutrition consulting with Bread for the City several weeks ago, and I'm already amazed at the dedication to the clients.
Among other things, the staff is dedicated to making it easier for clients to eat well, so whenever possible, Ted, the Director of Food and Clothing, is purchasing food with less sodium, healthier fats, and more natural ingredients. And soon clients can look forward to receiving fresh, organic fruits and vegetables from a local farm.
There are countless ways that this is positive for clients. I believe that it signals that not only do they matter in terms of not going hungry, but that Bread for the City is invested in their future. The organization is dedicating its resources not just to feeding clients for survival, but to nurturing their overall well-being. This message of "You matter; you are important; you are worth this" might be just as good for their health as the lower-sodium can of soup.
Another way Bread for the City is striving to better serve its clients is with information included in the food bags each month.
In this month's bag, we've included tasty, healthy recipes to help clients with preparing the items in their bags. The bags also are stuffed with other ideas that we hope will inspire clients to make positive decisions for their health. Here's a sample adapted from the May bag:
"These are three easy, kid-friendly ways to add vegetables to your meals:
1. Macaroni and cheese: Mashed or pureed squash matches the cheddar cheese color, adds sweetness, and blends right in. Also, you can add frozen peas to the pasta a minute before it finishes cooking. And try whole-wheat macaroni and your own cheese sauce for less sodium, more fiber, and other health benefits.
2. Burgers: Add fresh parsley, garlic, minced carrots, and low-sodium or no-sodium tomato paste to the patties. Then top with romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and onions for great flavor.
3. Mashed potatoes: Cook cauliflower with the potatoes and mash them together. You also can try mashed sweet potatoes. Scrub and use the skins, since they contain the nutrients. You’ll barely notice them when they’re mashed together."
The Frustrations of Growing Food Prices
by Sara Mazala, Social/Legal Case Manager.
It seems as if every time I open up the newspaper or watch the news, I am confronted with the increase in food costs and grocery stores that are beginning food rationing. This is very disturbing to me because of the need for food for our clients here at Bread for the City. Our clients here receive an average income of $7,000 annually. If they are lucky to have this, they only receive a maximum of $10 per month in food stamps.
Our clients are very smart, and they want to stretch their dollars and food stamps as far as they can go. If the cost of a bag of fresh carrots is $3.00, but the cost of 1 liter of soda and a bag of chips (which can last a long time), equals the same, a person of limited income is likely to go for the obvious and buy the bag of chips and liter of soda, which leads to a bigger problem!!!! When a person buys food with high quantities of sugar and fat, they can become victims of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease. This leads to constant visits to the doctor.
With the growing costs in health care and insurance, it is very hard for vulnerable residents of DC to be able to afford frequent visits to health care providers and medications. Although in DC we are lucky to have DC Healthy Families and Alliance, not all prescriptions and medical tests are covered, adding extra costs to members of our community.
Therefore, I urge both the Federal and District government to realize that the growing costs of food is not just a problem within itself, but can lead to far greater medical problems for our neighbors here in the district. I also urge those in powers to do whatever is necessary to give greater quantities in food stamps or possibly giving farmers greater tax initiatives to either lower costs of fresh produce or give reduced prices to markets in low-income areas. Every little bit helps!
May 1, 2008
Metro Getting Money to Dulles, Can’t Find Southeast For Its Life
Southeast's Metro Line.No one questions that the Dulles expansion is long overdue (expected, routine and minor delays, I’m sure), but even people with very good plans for the Metro seem to think of Southeast as a chronic outage area. David Alpert recently did a good interview with the DCist discussing his Metro map, but I notice that though his plan has a glimmering Silver Line and a majestic Purple Line, we can’t seem to get anything better than a two Green Line Metro stops and some bus lines east of the Anacostia River.
I know that people talking about a Silver Line probably don’t live in Anacostia (a related issue), but it needs some Metro stops. Stacey Long wrote today about the chronic shortage of grocery stores in Southeast, and I want to add that none of those grocery stores are even within a short jog of the Anacostia Metro Station.
Not that it matters, since apparently the Anacostia stop will remain an isolated sack of concrete, suspended in Southeast with no lateral movement so that people can get around. It would be nice to have one of those fancy Purple Lines looping from King Street to Minnesota Avenue. I would even be willing to call it something derogatory if that’s what’s holding them back.
I am a little surprised that Mr. Alpert didn’t have a glance toward our neighbors east of the river, however, since he does talk about putting a Metro Station in the H Street corridor in Northeast for access reasons.
In the News: Dual Expansions
A story released today by the Washington Business Journal states that our friends at the Capital Area Food Bank are going to open a new warehouse double the size of their old one. Those familiar with the Food Bank will be happy to know that they’re still going to be in Northeast, in an area that is no doubt underserved.
In September, Bread for the City is also going to break ground for an expansion of our own that will more than double the size of the Northwest Center, with an emphasis on creating more room for our Medical and Legal Clinics. The recent spike in all commodities (like food) has certainly made the need for expansions like these more pressing, but the long-term support both of these expansions will give the community is greater by far.
Maybe we should have a race!
East of the River and Hunting for Groceries
by Stacey Long, Advocacy and Community Lawyering Director.
I am what you might call a “foodie.” This means I love food and use as many opportunities as possible to be around food – especially free food. I moved here almost 6 years ago to work at Bread for the City’s new center on Good Hope Road, SE. As a newcomer (and a foodie), I spent a considerable amount of time shopping around for a good grocery store. This search gave me one of my first lessons about the divide between those who live West of the River and those living East of the River.
First I discovered Safeway, a pretty new grocery store that was a short walk from my apartment in Ward 7. It seemed to have everything I needed to stock up my apartment and feed myself when I didn’t feel like cooking after work. Then I discovered Giant Foods across the street from Bread for the City’s NW Center on 7th Street, NW. I noticed a difference between the Giant on P St., NW and the Safeway on Alabama Ave., SE: Giant had a luscious salad bar and Safeway did not. Oh well, I thought, I can make my own salad. I also noticed that the fruit, vegetables and meats were lesser quality in my local Ward 7 supermarket than the Ward 2 supermarket. Oh well, don’t make any assumptions, I thought to myself, maybe Safeway and Giant carry different items.
Soon, I overcame my fear of getting lost and drove to Virginia where I discovered Shoppers, Harris Teeters and COSTCO—what a lovely shopping experience! But what a hike just to have some variety.
In time, I learned that there was NO grocery store in the entire Ward 8. Pretty troubling for a foodie like myself.
I asked, “What’s going on here?” After several weeks of asking around, I pretty much heard the same two things: 1) There used to be a grocery store in Ward 8 but it shut down years and years ago and 2) They’re building a new store in Ward 8. But no one could tell me when.
And so from the summer of 2002 when I first moved here recently I “chose” to shop in VA, MD or in DC (West of the River). I recognize that I was “lucky” because I had a working car, gas money, friends who could take me to the store and if I was really motivated, I could even walk there from my house. But where does that leave the 71,000 people who lived in Ward 8 particularly those who don’t have a car, or transportation money or a support system to help them get there? Was it fair that they just relied upon the overpriced, limited selections found in the “convenience store.” The new Giant in Ward 8 finally opened in December 2007, but is that the only grocery store we’re going to see for a whole Ward?
Posts
