Send Hunger Packing

Non-profits by the numbers

27 percent of Arizona non-profit groups that laid off employees in 2008 or plan to lay off in 2009.
5,000: Number of non-profit workers that who are estimated to be laid off between 2008 and 2009.
75 percent of Arizona non-profits that reported increased demand for their services in 2008.
80 percent of Arizona non-profits that expected increased demand for their services in 2009.
40 percent of Arizona non-profits that plan to either reduce their service or reduce the number of people who can receive services in 2009.
57 percent of Non-profit organizations that put on hold plans for expansion in 2008.
Source: Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits

Full Story at: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/27/20090627biz-nonprofits0627.html

People needing "HUNGER RELIEF"’ on the rise

Hunger relief’ might be a new term for many of us but ongoing social conditions are going to ‘brutally’ make it realise in the coming days as number of people making efforts to secure free food around food outlets is dramatically increasing with each passing day.

Essa Khan, aged 33, who works as a daily-wage labourer is one of those persons who daily comes to free food centre being run by the Edhi Foundation at Aabpara as it helps him save some money out of his daily earning. He said it is not all about saving earning because sometimes when he does not find any work it becomes difficult for him to afford two-time meals a day.
The trend of setting up food outlets and restaurants has been fast gaining ground in the twin cities for the last many years and it is believed that large quantity of leftover food is thrown into garbage trolleys. Despite the fact that the concept of ‘Food Bank’ is getting popular all over the world especially in the developed countries, no serious effort has so far been made to promote this trend at least in big cities of the country.
The first food bank named St. Mary was set up in 1967 in Arizona that promoted this concept, which is aimed at providing free food to downtrodden segments who lack financial resources and find it hard to afford food prices.
“It would not be an exaggeration if we start recycling leftover food that would help provide food to thousands of people daily,” said Nazim Hussain, a hotel owner in Satellite Town area. He said though there can be many who would be ready to accept even used food out of hunger but in his personal view he does not think it appropriate, so they dispose of such food with the help of sweepers.
The Edhi Foundation introduced free food centres in the twin cities after which many other people and groups came forward and started providing free food at various places in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. There are also number of hotels and restaurants in areas like Peshawar Morr and Sector G-8/1 where owners provide food to people free of cost.
“The government must take initiative to provide technical and logistic assistance to various groups that can be helpful to launch banks all over the country especially in the big cities where thousands of people miss their meals due to financial constraints,” said Murtaza Abbasi, a social activist and educationist.
He said if all the relevant quarters make concerted efforts and share their expertise and assistance then it would be not so difficult to launch any food bank in the twin cities.
At the time when food inflation is increasing day by day in the society and huge number of people do not have a ‘luxury’ to enjoy two-time meals in a day it is highly unfortunate that leftover food is thrown into dunghills and garbage trolleys. So it is ripe time that relevant quarters put in best efforts for establishing food banks to provide marginalised people with some relief who have already many other hardships to tackle with.

Source: By Noor Aftab - Islamabad,Saturday, June 20, 2009 http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=184087

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
-- Mother Teresa --

Time to Attack Hunger's Roots

As 115 million more people have been driven into poverty and hunger by rising food prices over the past three years, top UN officials are demanding a new global system to ensure that people across the world have enough to eat. Half of the 10 million people who die of hunger each year are children.
What's the Story? "Now is the time for action. The food crisis has taught us that to defeat hunger, we have to deal with its root causes and not to continue coping with the consequences of past mistakes," said Jacques Diouf, director-general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), speaking at an international conference on food security.
http://us.oneworld.net/article/364288-global-action-needed-food-security

PHOENIX -- Demand for food up 127 percent

PHOENIX -- St. Mary’s Food Bank is suffering as the demand for food has increased 127 percent from last year and donations are decreasing by nearly 50 percent since the beginning of summer. Already during May, St. Mary’s Food Bank provided 7.7 million pounds of food to needy families. Ways to give to St. Mary's

Full story at: http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoenixmetro/central/story/Demand-for-food-at-St-Mary-s-Food-Bank-up-127/QsuIEd_800u5leV3_kEM5w.cspx

Interactive: When will the job markets be normal?

Interactive: When will the nation's job markets return to normal?
While signs indicate that the worst of the recession may be over, only six metropolitan areas across the country are expected to regain their pre-recession employment levels by the end of 2009, according to projections from IHS Global Insight, a leading economic forecaster. Most of the country - 286 of 325 metro areas covered in the IHS analysis - aren't likely to regain their pre-recession employment levels until at least 2012.
This link will take you to an interactive map shows what year economic forecasters say each metro area will return to employment levels seen before the recession at:
http://http://www.sacbee.com/1098/story/1936416.html
Source: The Sacramento Bee
By Phillip Reese, Jun. 18, 2009

Parents have less influence than commonly believed

A study published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine reports that parents have less influence on their children's diets than is commonly believed.

According to one of the study's authors, Youfa Wang of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, "[c]hild-parent dietary resemblance in the US is relatively weak, and varies by nutrients and food groups and by the types of parent-child dyads and social demographic characteristics such as age, gender and family income."

Other factors that "seem to play an important role in young people's dietary intake" include "community and school, food environment, peer influence, television viewing, as well as individual factors such as self-image and self-esteem," noted study author May Beydoun, also of the Bloomberg School.

The authors recommend that future studies focus on factors such as peer pressure. The researchers used USDA data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the USDA 2005 Health Eating Index; 1,061 fathers, 1,230 mothers, 1,370 sons and 1,322 daughters were sampled. I

n another survey, by Mintel, findings showed parents do feel responsible for their children's' weight, with 78 percent of parents saying they blame themselves if their child was overweight.

World Hunger 'hits one billion'

One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger,
a figure which has increased by 100 million because of the global financial crisis, says the UN.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said the figure was a record high.
Persistently high food prices have also contributed to the hunger crisis.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8109698.stm
BBC, World News, June19, 2009

Hunger 101AZ Announces Public Training

Hunger 101AZ announces July 2009 Public Training presentations
All are FREE of CHARGE.
Details of topics, schedule, locations and registration can be made by phone at 620-343-3164 or email to rlcombe@firstfoodbank.org.

1 in 12... is BAD!

1 in 12 Arizona Seniors

A Very Sad & Unnecessary Situation

Be Part of the Solution

http://www.hunger101az.org/

http://www.firstfoodbank.org/

There's enough!

” There's enough on this planet for everyone's needs but not for everyone's greed.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi --

Kids Cafe ----- Feeding Children..... Day In, Day Out!

St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance's Kids Cafe® program provides food to 32 sites in the Valley, serving as many as 1,800 meals every day and 2,100 meals every day during the busy summer.

During the fiscal year 2007-2008, Kids Cafe served a total of 388,784 meals to children 5 to 18 years of age.

Kids Cafe partners with area churches, schools, community centers, and city Parks & Recreation Departments to provide a secure and safe environment for children.

“Perfect Summer Hunger Storm”

ST. MARY’S FOOD BANK ALLIANCE REPORTS DEMAND FOR FOOD UP SHARPLY - 127% IN MAY
“Perfect summer storm” created as financial donations lag by 50% and demand for food expected to continue increasing. During May, St. Mary’s Food Bank distributed nearly 28,000 emergency food boxes and a total of 7.7 million pounds of food – enough food to provide 7.7 million meals in the community.

The Food Bank always distributes more food during the summer months than it does at any other time of the year, including the holidays, because families are no longer able to rely on school breakfast and lunch programs and already tight budgets are stretched further by an increase in utility bills and gas prices.

Adding to the strain, many of the organization’s supporters leave on vacation and financial support slows down, said Terry Shannon, President and CEO of St. Mary’s Food Bank. “This is the scenario we worry about every year, but this year, with the economy struggling the way it is, we are facing an incredible perfect summer storm – the need for our services skyrockets but financial support drops.”

For more information about how you can help fight Hunger in Arizona, visit the food bank's web site: http://www.firstfoodbank.org/

Recession Driving Benefit Spending to Record High

(USA Today, June 3, 2009)

One out of every six dollars of Americans' income is in the form of federal or state funds - SNAP/Food Stamps, Social Security, unemployment compensation, or health care - due to the recession, notes a report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

According to federal data, , government spending on benefits will be more than $2 trillion in 2009, an average of $17,000 per household. In the first quarter of 2009, benefit spending increased at an annual rate of 19 percent, compared to the last quarter of 2008. While half the increase is due to the recession - unemployment has nearly tripled - policies set in place during George Bush's first term of office make up the other half; increased spending for the Medicare drug benefit, children's health insurance expansion, and SNAP/Food Stamps followed the 2001 recession.

These days, "[w]e're not seeing the hunger we saw in the 1930s because the food stamp program is doing what it's supposed to do," said Jennifer Lange, Florida's food stamp director. While advocates are saying the safety net is working, "[t]he increase in social spending is still relatively modest given the severity of the downturn," said Dean Baker, an economist with the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Hunger never takes a Vacation

The Bad, The Ugly and The Good!

The St.Mary's Food Bank Alliance kicked off our 2009 SEND HUNGER PACKING campaign to fight Hunger (especially among children) across Arizona during the summer.
As part of that event, ththe Food Bank intorduced a new video created by staff and volunteers to visually present this critical problem facing Arizonans especially during the next few months. That of FEEDING OUR CHILDREN.

Please take a few moments to view the video now showing on YouTube andt a consider what you, your organization, your family, your friends or other community groups you are involved with migth so to SEND HUNGER PACKING in Arizona.
View the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiCqE508-58

What will you and yours do?

Arizona Free-Lunch Program Increasing Dramatically

USA Today & The Arizona Republic reported today that Arizona's Free-lunch program for needy children is up 11.3% this year, as well as many more students are eligible for reduced-cost lunches
by Pat Kossan

The Arizona Republic

Schools across the Valley are measuring the depth of Arizona's downturn in the cafeteria lunch line: A rising number of students has applied for free lunches, and more parents are failing to pay what they owe on the lunch bill.
The percentage of students who received free lunches at Arizona schools jumped by 11.3 percent from February 2008 to February 2009, the latest month with data verified by the federal government, a USA Today analysis reported. Arizona, which had 394,977 students receiving free lunches, was one of only five states to experience double-digit increases.

Additional information available at: http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/06/11/20090611schoollunch0610-CP.html

http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/06/11/20090611schoollunch0610-CP.html

Arizona Budget in LIMBO!

The Arizona Senate and House have passed a budget for 2009-10 and have decided not to send it to Governor Brewer because they were concerned that she would veto it.

The budget passed is about the worst for DES and the organizations they contract with for services. The $73.4 million lump sum cut to DES is 10% of their current General Fund budget and throws them over the threshold that could cause them to eliminate all funding for the social services safety net in our state. It is only through the voices of those who are willing to speak up, on behalf of so many who cannot, that we will be able to change this situation.

ARIZONA BUDGET COALITION TALKING POINTS
· The budget recently passed by a bare majority of legislators in the House and the Senate includes massive budget cuts that take Arizona in the wrong direction and damage Arizona’s economy and families.
· There are many alternative options that have been proposed by Governor Brewer and other legislators that can balance the budget without dangerous cuts to jobs, education, health, and human services. These alternatives include new revenues and other strategies that are fair and responsible.
· It is time for legislators from both parties to sit down with the Governor to look at all the options together and negotiate a budget that really works for Arizona.
· The coalition stands united in expecting our elected leaders to create a budget that protects education, health, and human services -- so that Arizona can save jobs and compete in the global economy.

To find your legislators, go to http://www.votesmart.org and type in your Zip+4 in the upper left hand corner where it asks for that information.

Join Hunger 101 & St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance as we kickoff our efforts feed children and SEND HUNGER PACKING from during the Arizona summer months. On June 9th, please join us for a KickOff breakfast (7-9AM) at our Westside facility in Surprise or our lunchtime event (11AM-1PM at our Phoenix 31st Ave location.Learn more at www.firstfoodbank.org

Arizona Budget Cuts Threaten Programs to End Hunger

With State budget cuts looming over the Coordinated Hunger Programs and Senior Nutrition Programs, please consider contacting your elected officicals as constituents and advocates to , and ask for their funding for programs to fight hunger in Arizona.

Annualized for the 2009-10 fiscal year, the Association of Arizona Food Banks would lose more than half their previous state funding if the Coordinated Hunger Programs line item is cut. Especially because even if all food bank-related budget allocations were preserved, cuts to other social service programs would dramatically increase the burden on Arizona’s food banks.

Its critical that our elected ofoicails clearly understand and ensure that they:

• Must preserve and improve Arizona’s fragile health, human and social services safety net by eliminating further cuts and restoring cuts already made in the 2008-09 budget.

• Seriously consider revenue enhancements (not reductions) part of the new budget.

• More fully consider all available alternatives to balance the budget, informed by menu choices from the Arizona Budget Coalition (www.arizonabudgetcoalition.com) and the Fiscal Alternatives Choices Team report.

• Understand the private sector, foundations and the faith community cannot collectively compensate for ill-timed budget cuts.

You can find your officials' contact info at http://www.azleg.gov/.

Thanks for understanding and Advocacy to End Hunger in Arizona,

Hunger 101AZ

Source: Community Food Connections

Get Smart with Fruits and Veggies!

Looking to Manage Your Weight?
Fruits and vegetables are part of a well-balanced and healthy-eating plan. There are many different ways to maintain a healthy weight.
Using more fruits and vegetables along with whole grains and lean meats, nuts, and beans is a safe and healthy one.
For more information, read How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/fruits_vegetables.html
and Eat More, Weigh Less? at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/energy_density.html

Source: Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FruitsAndVeggies