Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

It's hungry out there


jgm

Recommended Posts

I am dealing with massive guilt feelings today. As I write this, I am preparing to attend the Heartland Gathering, and if my math is accurate, I'll be spending in the neighborhood of $200 for food alone, over 4 days. That doesn't include motel, gas, and whatever else.

Today's local newspaper had a story about how more and more children in our community are hungry. I mean really, really hungry. When I read a description of a little kindergarten boy who had been stealing food, I burst into tears. The staff has found food for him and they help him ration it; he eats one item before leaving school in the afternoon. Although I don't fault the staff - I'm sure he's not the only hungry child at that school - I know it's not enough.

Although I am tempted, I am not going to cancel my plans to attend the gathering. I am, however, determined to find ways to make a difference.

Is there anything going on in YOUR community that you consider to be clever and innovative? We have some good resources in our community, and people ARE giving. Yet there are children who aren't eating regularly. We have a substantial manufacturing sector (aircraft) here, and layoffs have been massive. The ripple effect has been devastating to some families. A meeting is planned for representatives from local agencies, to figure out how to help those who aren't being reached.

Let's trade ideas and see what we can do to help. One idea that's being used here during the school year, is probably widely used, but I think it bears mentioning. Backpacks are prepared to send home with children on Fridays, with a little bit of food for the weekend. They include things like peanut butter crackers, juice boxes, containers of pudding, etc. Certainly I'd love to see kids getting better than that, but the goal is to fill their tummies and have food available to them that they can access, and that doesn't have to be cooked. This program is administered through a local food bank.

Your turn.

Jenny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a sad thing to read around Independence Day. Not to say it is not true and has not been going on for a long time. What tears me up is that so many of the economically distressed parents have no idea how to cook or plan low cost food. I want to round them up and teach them. The media and advertising support such a skewed idea of what is good and inexpensive to eat.

I know that I can not change the world in a blink. I support local food banks because I have met mothers who use them and who are frightened about the almost not existent current supplies. Unfortunately because of the logistics that means canned and dried goods for the most part.

I am trying to work out some classes with a local women & children's center to teach a class on low cost, healthy eating.

Perhaps at a minimum we can share our knowledge- even one to one. If something has been in the pantry for six months I donate it.

Looking forward to hearing what others are doing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I vaguely recall hearing that in the past, any extra money from the Heartland gathering was donated to "The Society".

Perhaps this year (and in subsequent years), extra money could be donated to a local foodbank or similar organization? There could also be some kind of sale of donated items, the proceeds of which would go to a local food-related charity.

When I was active in rfc (rec.food.cooking), after 9/11 there was a movement to publish and sell a cookbook of recipes compiled from members. The profits went to Second Harvest. If there is interest and if there are people willing to take on the task (and if eG can legally undertake such a project given its charitable status), perhaps something like that can also be done.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I volunteer.

A local church (that I am not a member of, and don't attend, but they have a kicking soup kitchen), the Red Cross, La Leche League, Feeding America, Farm Aid and Meals on Wheels. These organizations need money and inventory, sure, but more often than not they need warm bodies to make things happen. There is a critical shortage of volunteers in nearly every organization I work with.

I agree, everyone probably knows at least one person that has been negatively impacted by the current situation.

I've personally reached out to those people that I know that have been laid off, and offered to babysit (cause I like having kids around), or baked two loaves of bread instead of one and sent it over because I thought they might like it. That sort of thing.

Every little thing you do makes a difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What tears me up is that so many of the economically distressed parents have no idea how to cook or plan low cost food.

.....

I am trying to work out some classes with a local women & children's center to teach a class on low cost, healthy eating.

If you, or you in combination with a group of members, wanted to develop a set of teaching materials -- essentially an online class on how to teach a class on low-cost, healthy eating -- the Society could publish and promote that.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What tears me up is that so many of the economically distressed parents have no idea how to cook or plan low cost food.

.....

I am trying to work out some classes with a local women & children's center to teach a class on low cost, healthy eating.

If you, or you in combination with a group of members, wanted to develop a set of teaching materials -- essentially an online class on how to teach a class on low-cost, healthy eating -- the Society could publish and promote that.

I'm game to have Heidi's back if she chooses to move this forward. Housing a class here on the site would allow us to reach people all over the globe. We have some content out in the archives I'm sure that would help and be appropriate.

But Heidih, you and me can't do it by ourselves.

It's that manpower shortage I was talking about earlier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm thinking something like that could not only be a teaching guide, but could also include resources on how to interface with community centers, churches, etc., so as to arrange for actual live teaching opportunities. We have so many members who are very educated about cooking, so packaging the right information for them could give them the tools they need to teach. We could also do some direct online teaching (because some percentage of the target audience is online), and we could develop printable course materials perhaps in translated versions as well.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is time for action instead of talk on my part. I am in! I will PM those who have expressed interest and start moving this forward with all your input and help. :biggrin: Posters after this- please PM me and I will start a communication loop.

What tears me up is that so many of the economically distressed parents have no idea how to cook or plan low cost food.

.....

I am trying to work out some classes with a local women & children's center to teach a class on low cost, healthy eating.

If you, or you in combination with a group of members, wanted to develop a set of teaching materials -- essentially an online class on how to teach a class on low-cost, healthy eating -- the Society could publish and promote that.

I'm game to have Heidi's back if she chooses to move this forward. Housing a class here on the site would allow us to reach people all over the globe. We have some content out in the archives I'm sure that would help and be appropriate.

But Heidih, you and me can't do it by ourselves.

It's that manpower shortage I was talking about earlier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am dealing with massive guilt feelings today.  As I write this, I am preparing to attend the Heartland Gathering, and if my math is accurate, I'll be spending in the neighborhood of $200 for food alone, over 4 days.  That doesn't include motel, gas, and whatever else.

Today's local newspaper had a story about how more and more children in our community are hungry.  I mean really, really hungry.  When I read a description of a little kindergarten boy who had been stealing food, I burst into tears.  The staff has found food for him and they help him ration it; he eats one item before leaving school in the afternoon.  Although I don't fault the staff - I'm sure he's not the only hungry child at that school - I know it's not enough.

Although I am tempted, I am not going to cancel my plans to attend the gathering.  I am, however, determined to find ways to make a difference.

Is there anything going on in YOUR community that you consider to be clever and innovative?  We have some good resources in our community, and people ARE giving.  Yet there are children who aren't eating regularly.  We have a substantial manufacturing sector (aircraft) here, and layoffs have been massive.  The ripple effect has been devastating to some families.  A meeting is planned for representatives from local agencies, to figure out how to help those who aren't being reached.

Let's trade ideas and see what we can do to help.  One idea that's being used here during the school year, is probably widely used, but I think it bears mentioning.  Backpacks are prepared to send home with children on Fridays, with a little bit of food for the weekend.  They include things like peanut butter crackers, juice boxes, containers of pudding, etc.  Certainly I'd love to see kids getting better than that, but the goal is to fill their tummies and have food available to them that they can access, and that doesn't have to be cooked.  This program is administered through a local food bank.

Your turn.

Jenny

Funny, I thought of you and the woman you were tutoring on low-cost, nutritional meals when I read this announcement (see below). I told Lisa, the teacher/convener, that I would be willing to sponsor a session or two of her classes whenever she has a group together that has been referred to her (or otherwise shown interest in attending) but cannot afford to attend on their own. I'll see how that goes and report back.

Dear Growing Growers,

I am excited to announce the opening of our new Demonstration Kitchen at KU Med in the Program in Integrative Medicine and I wanted to share some info with you about our new "edible classroom":

Classes will focus on promoting healthy eating and preparing various foods to help alleviate specific health conditions (e.g. cancer, heart disease, gluten-free diet, etc.).

The class calendar will change monthly and can be viewed at http://integrativemed.kumc.edu/nutrition_c...es_calendar.htm.

Classes are open to the public and held in the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Directions: http://integrativemed.kumc.edu/directions.htm.

The kitchen is fully equipped and is a small, intimate space that can accommodate about 5-6 students.

Private custom-made one-on-one or group classes can be scheduled. Would be good for individualized instruction or make for a fun team-building activity or group gift for a bride-to-be.

The kitchen has a "green mission", which includes recycling, composting food waste, buying in bulk, and emphasizing whole foods that are local/seasonal/organic.

In the future, we anticipate expanding the calendar to include additional nutrition educators, local chefs, and guest farmers. At this time, I would like to gauge interest in who might be interested in becoming involved as I develop a system for this. Also, I am interested in procuring local products from our fine local growers and would like to be kept in know of items that are available from various growers. Please contact me with any questions.

Warm regards,

Lisa Markley, MS, RD, LD

Nutrition Educator/Outpatient Dietitian

University of Kansas Medical Center

Program in Integrative Medicine

3901 Rainbow Blvd., Mailstop 1017

Kansas City, KS 66160

Judy Jones aka "moosnsqrl"

Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.

M.F.K. Fisher

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have the fortune to work in an agency where something like this could go far to help the community here in Oklahoma City. One of the social workers I work with actually had to choose how to wack her backpack program down from 90 families to 50, this being in a very small school that is in a very impoverished part of town. We are scambling to look for a way to supplement the program and be able to feed those kids again. When the food goes away the need does not oftentimes and it is an outrage that she even had to make the choice.

Lets do this and get it out there, the need could not be more timely...

"I eat fat back, because bacon is too lean"

-overheard from a 105 year old man

"The only time to eat diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook" - Julia Child

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might not be a bad idea to check out the efforts that are already being made in your community and seeing if there's a way to connect with/discover community needs instead of automatically designing a brand-new resource for a target audience (like a class series). It's a common issue in public health, where the same "tool", like a curriculum or a class series, might be re-created and duplicated in many different venues, and the resources used in doing so might be better used to bolster existing efforts...

You may want to check out if there are:

1. any free Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) class series through your local Cooperative Extension office- which are designed specifically for low-income families/households with young children, or

2. also through Cooperative Extension, any free class series through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed....formerly known as the the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program).....anyone who receives food stamps and their family/household members are eligible, or

3. through Share Our Strength, any Operation Frontline class series. This series uses uses a well-designed curriculum and a base of nutritionists and local chefs to teach about meal planning, food budgeting, and cooking skills.

In NYS, EFNEP and SNAP-Ed class series are delivered through 58 Cooperative Extension offices all over the state, and I know good volunteers for classes are always in HIGH demand! The class series will typically cover topics like budgeting, meal planning, balanced diets, and food safety, and are built to be interactive sessions that develop/reinforce cooking skills. Plus, the classes use reliable curricula that have already been reviewed and tested (for accuracy, ease of use, etc.....)

As a disclaimer, I am a public health dietitian working with the Cooperative Extension nutrition programs for low-income audiences in NYS, so I hope that what I say doesn't come off as "territorial" or agenda-pushing. My job is reviewing the curricula that are used by community educators across the state, and conducting in-services on effective teaching methods and actual nutrition topics themselves (like diabetes, food allergies, etc.). Happy to receive any additional questions or connect people to Cooperative Extension programs in their communities via PM.....

It's good to know that there are so many others who are moved by the plight of food insecurity in the US, not to mention the world. Look forward to reading about other ideas and resources.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Duplicated efforts are not necessarily a bad thing.

If you can't get the message through one way, do it another.

Everyone should be supporting efforts that already have steam, including us. There is more than one road that leads to the Cooperative Extension Service, a fantastic and necessary agency.

Churches, Hospital waiting rooms, the "dray" (day worker) line. Just off the top of my head.

I don't think it can be said too often.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if any of the existing course materials are online. If so, I'd definitely like to take a look.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wonder if any of the existing course materials are online. If so, I'd definitely like to take a look.

They are, and should be looked at.

But, if anyone can feed people on the cheap and make it taste good, I am of the opinion that it is us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A while back there was a similar discussion on eGullet:

Cooking classes for disadvantaged folks

eGullet member chefzadi ended up giving cooking lessons to lower income inner city kids to teach them that good food could be made both economically and nutritionally.

 

“Peter: Oh my god, Brian, there's a message in my Alphabits. It says, 'Oooooo.'

Brian: Peter, those are Cheerios.”

– From Fox TV’s “Family Guy”

 

Tim Oliver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...