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Hunger is the most extreme form of poverty. Families who are not food secure cannot afford to meet their most basic need for food.

Without a doubt...,

St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance volunteers are both ORGANIC & GREEN

More, Faster, More, Faster, More, FASTER!

that was the July ROCK & BOX volunteer mantra at St. Mary's Food bank Alliance on Tuesday July 28th. The Food Bank simply cannot do what needs to be done without wonderful hardworking volunteers that amaze us with their support everyday in so many ways.

More about the Food Bank at: www.firstfoodbnak.org

Nearly two-thirds of American adults ...

are Overweight or Obese!

Solution? Eat less, exercise more!

“Obesity” refers to people who are 50 to 100 percent, or 100 pounds above, their ideal body weights.

Overeating and lack of exercise are the primary causes of obesity which leads to diabetes, birth defects and heart failure.

More than 20% of adults are obese in every U.S. state except Colorado, though in 1991, no state had an obesity rate greater than 20%. It is expected that 86% of the American population will be overweight or obese by 2030 unless habits change

Source: TakePart.com, 2009

Nutrition Suffers During Recession

During the recession, families experiencing job loss or a cut in wages are bypassing fresh fruits and vegetables in order to save money. Health problems from insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption are responsible for 2.7 million deaths each year, according to USDA. The agency also reports that 85 percent of children and 60 percent of adults do not meet USDA's recommended five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables.

The American Heart Association reports that 42 percent of 1000 Americans surveyed said they plan to make significant changes in the next six months, such as buying fewer fruits and vegetables - changes that may affect their health.

Source: The Coloradoan, July 5, 2009

The “Core” of Hunger 101AZ is FREE

Only through information and knowledge can we even begin to eliminate poverty, food insecurity, and hunger.And, key to that idea is ADVOCACY! And, during August and September, Hunger 101AZ is offering FREE Advocacy & Action training.
The popular presentations will be held Aug 21st (Friday), 10:30-11:30AM, & Sept 23rd (Wednesday), 10-11AM, at the St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, Volunteer Services Center at 2831 N. 31st Ave, Phoenix, AZ
Join us, become a more informed and skilled advocate seeking to End Hunger and Change lives in so many ways. Take the first step …tell, call, email, text, blog, Tweet or play charades from your car window to get the message out. Registration is easy, contact Ray Combe at rlcombe@firstfoodbank.org or 602-343-3164

And, the beat goes on.

The economic crisis and growing unemployment and underemployment continues to cause more families are finding they need help for the first time in food emergency situations. St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance distributes food throughout the Arizona through over 500 partner agencies at 750 sites including include domestic violence shelters, dining halls, schools, churches, children’s shelters, food pantries, halfway houses, and senior centers.
The majority of those served by the Food Bank and its agencies are working poor
families, as well as children and seniors.

"...Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine..."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson --

State opts not to give flu shots at schools

State and local public-health officials are shifting their tactics for combating flu this fall, deciding not to pursue a huge campaign to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of Maricopa County schoolchildren against seasonal flu. Instead, officials will aggressively promote getting flu shots from doctors or clinics, as well as encourage parents and school officials to quickly remove sick children from classrooms.
Source: Arizona Republic, Ginger Rough, July 23, 2009
Full story: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/07/23/20090723fluplanning0723.html

ARIZONA HIGHWAY subscrptions to feed families in Northern Arizona

Senate Working to Have All School Foods Meet Nutrition Guidelines

All food sold in schools - including through vending machines - could be regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization, according to Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Harkin, in the confirmation hearing for Kevin Concannon as head of USDA's food and nutrition programs, said that a draft of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization would give USDA authority to oversee all food in schools, so that junk food in vending machines would not "undermine" food served through the current school nutrition programs. He also said the committee will begin work on the legislation in October or November.

Harkin is currently working on health care reform and the annual spending bills, and in an effort to curb childhood obesity, co-sponsored a bill earlier this year setting nutrition standards for food in school vending machines and stores. Concannon told Harkin he wants to address health issues caused by poor nutrition through work with other federal and state agencies.

Disproportionate Number of U.S. Hispanics Suffer From Hunger

According to a recent USDA report on food insecurity, 19.5 percent of Hispanic households report suffering from hunger (food insecurity), a disproportionate number when compared to the national average of 10.9 percent, and the non-Hispanic white average of 7.8 percent.
The percentage means that nearly one in five Hispanic households, in one of the richest countries in the world, suffers from hunger. Only half of eligible Hispanic residents (51 percent) receive SNAP/Food Stamps, according to a National Council of La Raza (NCLR) report from December 2006 titled Sin Provecho: Latinos and Food Insecurity.
The report also found that there are 38 percent fewer fresh fruit and vegetable retailers in Hispanic communities than there are in communities with smaller Hispanic populations.
The NCLR report indicated that people who participate in food assistance programs have greater nutritional intake, save money on medical bills, are healthier, and have a lower rate of obesity.
Source: Ponte Al Dia/Latin News and Opinion, July 10, 2009

More than 11 Million will Die

This year (as every year) 11 million children younger than 5 will die needlessly, more than half from hunger-related causes. Few of these deaths are related to outright starvation, but rather to common illnesses (like diarrhea, acute respiratory illness, malaria and measles) that move in on vulnerable children whose bodies have been weakened by hunger

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Volunteers Vital

Volunteers are vital to St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, supporting the Food Bank in sorting, boxing and bagging food, as well as providing administrative and fundraising support and serving on the Board of Directors. Last year, 73,152 volunteers provided 327,890 hours, saving the Food Bank $6.4 million.

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
-- Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 25 (1948) --

Young workers push employers for wider Web access

Ryan Tracy thought he'd entered the Dark Ages when he graduated college and arrived in the working world. His employer blocked access to Facebook, Gmail and other popular Internet sites. He had no wireless access for his laptop and often ran to a nearby cafe on work time so he could use its Wi-Fi connection to send large files.
Sure, the barriers did what his employer intended: They stopped him and his colleagues from using work time to goof around online. But Tracy says the rules also got in the way of legitimate work he needed to do as a scientific analyst for a health care services company.
"It was a constant battle between the people that saw technology as an advantage, and those that saw it as a hindrance," says the 27-year-old Chicagoan, who now works for a different company.
Full story at: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090712/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_blocked_office_internet
Source: Yahoo Tech News, By Martha Irvine, July 12, 2009

Obesity a risk factor in swine flu?

Some swine flu cases in Michigan are raising questions about obesity's role in why some people with infections become seriously ill.
A high proportion of those who have gotten severely ill from swine flu have been obese or extremely obese, but health officials have said that might be due to the fact that heavy people tend to have asthma and other conditions that make them more susceptible. Obesity alone has never been seen as a risk factor for seasonal flu.
Full story at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090710/ap_on_he_me/us_med_swine_flu;_ylt=Ano6Ud_CFR31hGajL2Ynu_.ISbYF;_ylu=X3oDMTJtNGE1ZWg5BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwNzEwL3VzX21lZF9zd2luZV9mbHUEcG9zAzMEc2VjA3luX3BhZ2luYXRlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDb2Jlc2l0eWFyaXNr

• 338,000 Arizona children--about one in every five--live in poverty; 37 percent are under the age of five.

More American Children living in poverty

A growing number of American children are living in poverty and with unemployed parents, and are facing the threat of hunger, according to a new federal report released today.According to "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being," 18 percent of all children 17 and under were living in poverty in 2007, up from 17 percent in 2006. The percentage of children who had at least one parent working full time was 77 percent in 2007, down from 78 percent in 2006. And those living in households with extremely low "food security" -- where parents described children as being hungry or having skipped a meal or gone without eating for an entire day -- increased from 0.6 percent in 2006 to 0.9 percent in 2007, the report said.

Read Full Article: http://http//mobile.washingtonpost.com/detail.jsp?key=410010&rc=na&p=1&all=1

Source: The Washington Post, Annie Gowen, July 10, 2009

Water Please!

Temps soaring past 110 -- Water Needed NOW!

PUBLIC ASKED FOR WATER DONATIONS AS SUMMER TEMPERATURES SOAR THIS WEEKEND
With Phoenix temperatures soaring past 110 degrees this weekend, the urgency to provide water to those living without shelter around the Valley rises as well. Three St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance locations serve as water donation sites in conjunction with Homeless Awareness Coalition awareness efforts
Death by dehydration and heat exhaustion is a serious problem for the most vulnerable population – a group that has grown in number as a result of the current economic crisis. The number of homeless individuals and families living in the Valley has reached a crisis situation, requiring an increased need for the most basic life-sustaining elements.
Three St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance locations are among five collection sites around the Valley accepting water donations. If you would like to help make a difference for those in need, donations can be dropped off at the main Phoenix warehouse (2831 N. 31st Ave.), the Westside location in Surprise (13050 W. Elm Street) or the Glendale location (5605 N. 55th Ave.) All three locations are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Obesity Continues to Rise

Obesity Among U.S. Adults Continues to Rise
Obesity Prevalence 25 Percent or Higher in 32 States
The proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008 compared to 25.6 percent in 2007. The data come from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-based phone survey that collects health information from adults aged 18 and over. The 2008 BRFSS obesity data indicate that none of the 50 states or the District of Columbia has achieved the Healthy People 2010 goal of reducing obesity prevalence to 15 percent or less.
Learn more at: http://http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2009/r090708.htm
Source CDC Press Release, Jul 8, 2009

President Obama can change the course of history by making this G8 the first step towards ending hunger and revitalizing farming as a livelihood

We need President Obama to lead the world in the fight against hunger by committing to: * Invest more – and more wisely – in agriculture so poor people can build sustainable rural livelihoods and rely less on food aid;
* Buy more food aid locally and regionally in emergency situations instead of shipping food halfway around the world, creating waste and delay;
* Help poor communities farm sustainably so that soil can produce more food today without damaging the chance to grow food tomorrow; and
* Target aid to the poorest of the poor, like small-scale farmers and rural communities that depend on agriculture for their livelihoods but are often left behind by traditional aid.
* Tell President Obama not to leave anyone behind – we need his leadership on hunger at the G8.
https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1025&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr011=kps17hlm41.app28b

Kids Cafe provided 352,885 meals to children at risk of hunger in 2008/2009 fiscal year.

Kids Cafe program information available at: http://www.firstfoodbank.org/kidscafe.html

Can Expanding Food Stamps Jolt The Economy?

The federal food stamp program is being beefed up in hopes that it will help jolt the sagging economy back to life. However, economists are conflicted over how big an impact this increase will ultimately have.
The government is spending $20 billion to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program... Amid the recession, 4.8 million additional people have sought out food stamp assistance. In February 2008, 27.7 million people nationwide were receiving food stamps, compared to 32.5 million people 12 months later.
The idea of the stimulus plan is simple. The concept assumes people who get extra money will spend it — and that increased spending will bolster the economy.
"This injection of funds ends up being spent on food, and that has a multiplier effect through the economy."

Full story at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106307995

Source: NPR Online, by Kathy Lohr, JUly 7, 2009

HUnger 101 - Community Advocacy & Education

Safety Net Is Fraying for the Very Poor

Government “safety net” programs like Social Security and food stamps have pulled growing numbers of Americans out of poverty since the mid-1990s. But even before the current recession, these programs were providing less help to the most desperately poor, mainly nonworking families with children, according to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a private group in Washington.
Source: New York Times, By ERIK ECKHOLM, July 4, 2009
For Full story at: http://http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/us/05safetynet.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

25,000 students in Arizona homeless

The number of homeless schoolchildren in Arizona has surpassed 25,000 - equivalent to the population of Fountain Hills.
An increase of nearly 18 percent in the past year was driven by the soaring rate of unemployment and foreclosures, education officials say. Parents lose their jobs, then their home, and families lose their stability. They stay at a friend's, a hotel, a campground, a shelter - even live out of the car.
"We are now seeing families who come from middle-class America," said Sean Schubert, Peoria Unified School District's liaison for the homeless. "Now, many of those people are currently facing very challenging situations. What we all need to understand is that this can happen to anyone."
"We hear daily on the news how the Dow is doing, but less attention is being paid to how the recession is impacting our kids," said Phillip Lovell, vice president of the national children's advocacy group First Focus. "We need a significant policy response to solve this problem. Everyone needs to be involved."
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/07/04/20090704homeless0704.html

Hungry? Hunger 101 can FEED YOUR MIND

Hunger 101 - July 2009 - Feed Your Mind Training Schedule
* Faces of Hunger: July 7th (Tuesday), 1-2PM
* Label Me Nutritious: July 14th (Tuesday), 1-2PM
* Advocacy & Action: July 15th (Wednesday), 12-1PM
* Impacts of Hunger: July 21st (Tuesday), 1-2PM
* Fast Foods: Making Healthy Choices: July 22nd (Wednesday), 12:30-1:30PM
* The Food Game Simulation: July 28th (Tuesday), 2PM-4PM
For topic details a or to register, contact Ray Combe at rlcombe@firstfoodbank.org or 602-343-3164.

"Ending Childhood Hunger by 2015: The Essential Strategies for Achieving the President's Goal,"

FRAC is releasing today its analysis of the steps needed for the nation to reach President Obama's goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

The paper calls for the nation to:
* Restore economic growth and create jobs with better wages for lower-income workers.
* Raise the incomes of the lowest-income families.
* Strengthen the SNAP/Food Stamp Program.

* Strengthen the Child Nutrition Programs.

* Engage the entire federal government in ending childhood hunger.
* Work with states, localities and nonprofits to expand and improve participation in federal nutrition programs.
* Make sure all families have convenient access to reasonably priced, healthy food.
FRAC is distributing this analysis to members of Congress, key officials in the Obama Administration, the media, and anti-hunger leaders across the nation. They also are launching a website, www.endingchildhunger2015.org, where they are posting this analysis and the president's position paper making the 2015 commitment, and will be posting in the weeks and months ahead other analyses and materials related to achieving thehttp://frac.org/news/2015.htm 2015 goal.

Please share your thoughts with Hunger 101Az and FRAC about this first look at needed strategies, and your ideas of how to spur the nation to reach this important goal.

Source: Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)