I'll let you decide

This story last week on NPR http://www.npr.org/2011/01/13/132864584/high-demand-nutritional-dilemma-vex-food-banks#commentBlock talked about the issue of food banks distributing all that is donated, including candy and other food with minimal nutritional value. I think the story missed a main point: It is not up to food banks to be the nutrition gatekeepers for our clients. We are not here to "do favors." Everyone deserves the dignity of a meal of their choosing, without a charitable gatekeeper.

We all need to learn to eat better and to understand the importance of good nutrition. It is also a societal responsibility to provide information and education about good nutrition, cooking well, and eating well for everyone, not just one group or another. This country used to provide that guidance, but stopped in the 1970's when the government began backing away from more aggressive nutrition and good eating advocacy that began during WWII. The 70's also were the advent of increased food processing and aggressive marketing of “junk” food.

I don't believe it is appropriate to single out 1 in 7 of our neighbors for disparate treatment just because they need to ask for help. Walk in those shoes and think how you would feel, if you found yourself being denied a certain food (or candy) because a charity decided it wasn't good for you.

so much to say

Have you ever heard of wordle? Wordle is an online tool used to generate "world clouds" from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.

The wordle above was generated from answers, by Foodbank staff and board, to the question: If you could tell a stranger (someone who doesn't know about the Foodbank) one thing about the Vermont Foodbank, what would you say?

And this is what we said.

Food, Food Revolution

It’s time for a food revolution!

I eat a healthy diet of fruit, vegetables, locally-raised meats and whole grains . . . sometimes. But you know, when I smell those hot crispy french fries or that warm gooey chocolate chip cookie it is almost impossible not to eat just one, and then it’s impossible to eat just one. There are actually scientific theories about why this happens, and how foods are “designed” to make this happen. A new book by Dr. David Kessler, former Commissioner of the federal Food and Drug Administration, lays out what happens to our brains when we smell those cookies. The smell, sight or thought of fat, salt and sugar-laden foods triggers brain chemicals that create a path to our reward centers. The signal doesn’t turn off until the cookies or fries are gone. Does this description trigger a familiar feeling in you? It sure does to me.

People without enough food to eat are just as susceptible to these biological forces, and just as inundated by the ubiquitous marketing and advertising telling us all that these foods will make us feel good, make us more popular and help us have fun. These high fat, salt and sugar foods, which often lack any real nutritional value, are what you find in the convenience stores and corner bodegas in low income neighborhoods across the country. These so-called “food deserts” also lack reasonable access to fresh fruits and vegetable, lean meat and whole grains. What we end up with is the puzzling situation of hungry, undernourished and obese citizens.

Our government spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year enabling a food system that is literally making us sick. For example, overproduction of corn and wheat as the result of national agricultural policy leads to extreme efforts to use it all – enter high-fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, xanthan gum, citric acid (which can be produced from corn), modified corn starch, natural flavoring, and on and on. Even the canned goods supplied to food banks nationwide by the USDA through various programs are layered with sugars and salt.

It is time to say “enough.” A start would be for the federal government to reduce or eliminate the salt and sugar used in processing the commodities distributed through various programs to schools and food banks. Yes it will taste different, but people can add their own salt and sugar if they wish. You can’t take it out if it’s already in.

Building a movement takes time and focus and hope. This one has already begun, and is building in scope and intensity. I expect it will take at least 20 years for real change to happen, but each small step takes us that much closer.

Hunger Action Month – Think Big, Start Small

It is possible to end hunger in this country.

The missing pieces of the puzzle are a wide recognition that hunger is a serious problem and an unconditional commitment to feed everyone. Fortunately, President Obama recognizes that hunger is a problem in this country. We need that same recognition from the Governors of all 50 states. The talking heads on television need to talk about hunger. Businesses need to let us know that hungry people are not ready to work. Colleges and universities need to make hunger awareness part of their curriculum. Our military needs to acknowledge that hungry Americans are not prepared to serve their country.

When everyone is aware of the damage hunger is doing to our country, we need to make the commitment to feed everyone. And it has to be unconditional. No judging who is deserving of food assistance. And I mean no judging. We seem to spend a lot of time judging people these days, whether it’s their political views, socioeconomic status, how they use their money (or don’t), what kind of car they drive, or what kind of music they listen to. This will take time, effort and persistence, driving towards a clear, understandable goal - but isn’t that what leaders are supposed to do?

Existing federal and state anti-hunger programs, like SNAP (formerly food stamps ) and WIC can ensure food security for everyone in this country if we stop the judging, and shift existing resources to the right places. I won’t get into the details here. Check out http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/dww_hunger.html for a deeper dive.

But we’re not all leaders in eliminating hunger, writing reports and making policy. Most of us just need to know what we can do today that is within our abilities and means. Enter Hunger Action Month. Each state participates by letting people know what they can do every day to move us toward a hunger-free America. You can take “The Pledge,” pick apples for donation to the Vermont Foodbank, have your book club read a book about hunger. In fact, there are “30 Ways in 30 Days” you can help. Visit the Vermont Foodbank at http://www.vtfoodbank.org/Events/HungerActionMonth.aspx to learn more.

It may seem like taking a pledge, reading a book or making a donation to the Vermont Foodbank won’t end hunger – and it most likely won’t – but if one thousand people did it we’d have a start, and if they each convinced a friend, and they each convinced a friend and so on, well, pretty soon we’d have a solution.

Come closer, I have a story to share

Storytelling is something that any successful fundraiser must do well. The stories have to be engaging and connect to your organization’s mission in a positive way. At the Vermont Foodbank, we have a great story about our logo, a black bird with a kernel of corn in its mouth. It is an Abenaki tale. The Abenaki is one of the Native American tribes of Vermont. The story goes this way, I hope you like it:

In Abenaki legend corn is a gift from the gods in the form of a black bird.
On a cold night in the forest, Mon-do-min, an old, lame hunter, lay dying from hunger. He prayed to gods of the southern sky to send him food. Suddenly a small, black bird appeared. The man caught the bird, prepared a fire, and began to roast his meal. He was about to eat the bird when he heard someone crying. He followed the sound and found an injured woman and her child. He brought them back to his camp and gave them the bird to eat, saying, “The Great Spirit has spoken. You must live. I must die. But remember me when you see others alone and hungry. Share with them.” In the early spring, the old man’s tribe found his grave covered with green plants. The Great Spirit told them that the plants would ripen into full ears of a grain that would feed everyone. The black bird symbolizes the vessel for gathering, the yellow kernel, the food we share, and Mon-do-min, the act of nurturing others.

It would be wonderful if you would share with me stories that you have that talk about hope in the face of hunger. You can leave a story hear, or email me at jsayles@vtfoodbank.org.

A Culture of Diversity

I have created this “Diversity Statement” for the Foodbank so that everyone – employees, customers, donor, and other constituents know that we understand the importance of diversity, and know that we plan to keep the goal of a diverse workplace in mind at all times.

“Our mission is to gather and share quality food, and nurture partnerships so that no Vermonter will go hungry.”

Fulfilling the Vermont Foodbank’s mission depends on creating a personal, trusting connection with everyone in our community—including people in Vermont in need of food, network partners, donors, and government agencies. One way we as an organization will gain, nurture, and maintain this connection is by recognizing the role diversity plays in all that we do.

To build trust and foster relationships the Foodbank must make a personal connection with each individual from whom we gather, or with whom we share. Making that personal, trusting connection means that anyone—regardless of age, income level, race, gender, culture, disability or any other attribute—should recognize the Vermont Foodbank as an open, diverse and welcoming organization.

A diverse range of potential employees must also make a personal, trusting connection with the Vermont Foodbank for us to be seen as an employer of choice. Our nation’s work force is increasingly becoming more diverse in every way—a trend that is here to stay. Potential employees need to be able to trust that the Foodbank is committed to an environment where each individual’s perspective, concerns, and contributions are equally valued, appreciated and acted upon.

The more diversity we have in our staff, our partners, and our supporters, the more successful we will be at gaining the trust of the people we serve. Diversity at the Vermont Foodbank is about achieving our mission and nurturing partnerships to ensure that no one in Vermont goes hungry.

Hope

Just as giving as an unconditional act, hope is about overcoming adversity and dedicating oneself to a long-term effort to bring about change. I recently read this statement about hope, and I found it a wonderful reminder to keep the big picture in focus while tending to the day-to-day detail of what we do. It was posted on March 21st by Paul Raushenbush, the Religion Editor for the Huffington Post, talking about the difference between “optimism” and “hope.” (My apologies to Mr. Raushenbush for taking his post somewhat out of context.)

. . . [O]ptimism won't carry you very far in politics, faith or life. Hope is different than optimism. Optimism assumes that everyone will be happy clappy and go along with the program, and then crumples when they don't. In contrast, hope inspires endurance, and requires serious work. Optimism is a luxury for those who can afford to lose. Hope is for people for whom there is no alternative but to persevere. It was not optimism that carried the great civil rights movements of the last century, it was hope that made a way when there was no way, and squeezed justice out of the bitter fruit of persecution. Hope is tied to a belief in something greater than oneself (if only the collective wisdom of humanity) that wills this world to be a better place. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote "Hope is the faith that, together, we can make things better. Optimism is a passive virtue, hope is an active one. It takes no courage to be an optimist, but it takes a great deal of courage to have hope. Hope is the knowledge that we can choose; that we can learn from our mistakes and act differently next time. That history is not a trash bag of random coincidences blown open by the wind, but a long slow journey to redemption."
The promise that progress is possible, and that history is kind to those who work for the common good echoes the famous profession of hope by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. who reminded us that the "arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice." . . . .

The courage of hope is why people persevere in ending hunger. I believe that long arc is indeed bending toward justice, and that we can end hunger in this country in my lifetime.