Hunger to increase in US due to short-sighted cuts

Take a moment to watch this video and to read the accompanying report.

Already we are seeing the impact of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or Food Stamps).  Dig a little deeper:  read up on this very helpful benefit to working, low-income families and individuals.

Consider the impact of the proposed cuts.  Think beyond the affect on those who use the program.  Think also about the impact on the retail grocery industry and on related jobs.  Consider health care costs resulting from people being forced to consume food products that are cheap, high calorie and unhealthy.

Being penny wise and pound foolish never gets us where we want or need to be.

Your thoughts?

Hunger

Take a moment to look at  this amazing resource! 

Food insecurity in the U. S. presents a growing challenge to the economy, the workforce, public health and to students/public education. 

Feinstein Challenge grant

From now through April 30th, every donation CitySquare receives in support of our hunger programs will go towards the Feinstein $1,000,000.00 Challenge! The more donations we receive, the larger our match will be.

About the Feinstein Challenge:

Alan Shawn Feinstein and his foundation will divide $1 million among hunger fighting agencies, and CitySquare is one of these agencies! Donors can make a gift on-line (you will find the link here), or you can mail a check or money order (postmarked by April 30th) to:

CitySquare
ATTN: Development/Feinstein Challenge
511 N. Akard St, Ste 302
Dallas, TX 75201

You can also participate in the challenge by donating non-perishable food items to the food pantry. For this challenge, food items will be valued at $1.00 per pound.

If you have any questions please call Amira at 214-303-2117.

Please spread the word!!

Food Pantry

People ask me over and over again, "Larry, what can I do to help?" 

In the face of seemingly unrelenting poverty it is the right question. 

The best answer when it comes to food and nutrition is simple and for some folks not so satisfying.  But here goes:  send CitySquare a check, and the bigger the better. 

We obtain 99% of our food products from the North Texas Food Bank, our best partner in food procurement and nutrition.   The cost of the food is a very low "shared maintenance" fee assessed on a per pound basis that averages between 20 and 25 cents per pound, clearly the best deal in the city! 

Every dollar donated to CitySquare for this purpose allows us to deliver 4 pounds of groceries to low-income neighbors in the inner city. 

Below you'll see scenes shot on Wednesday at our Food Pantry/Resource Center on Haskell Avenue.  The lines shout out that thousands of our neighbors simply aren't earning enough to keep their families going. 

We need your help today!  So, if you want to know how to help us, here is a great way! 

To directly benefit hungry fellow residents, neighbors in Dallas County send your checks to CitySquare, 511 N. Akard Street, Suite 302, Dallas, Texas 75201.  Or, go on line and donate there at http://www.citysquare.org/.

For more information call me at 214-303-2116. 

Join CitySquare for Food Stamped!

Food, Inc. to show at CityWalk!

Celebrate "Food Day"



Food Stamps and Farmer's Markets

Here's another great post from Good.is.

Tell me what you think? 

Any ideas for a solution?

Help devise a system for using food stamps to buy better produce.

We all can agree that fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of good health. Yet access to fresh produce remains an enormous challenge. For people on food stamps, it’s an especially difficult one as there are few supermarkets in low income neighborhoods with sufficient offerings. Even thought more farmers’ markets are springing up across the country—and more than 750 farmers’ markets nationwide accept food stamps—other challenges remain.

Foodstamps, of course, are no longer physical stamps but “electronic benefit transfer” cards (or EBTs). This has helped remove the stigma for recipients of aid—and makes shopping at supermarkets easier—but has left farmers’ markets in a tough spot: without a battery-powered wireless card reader, food-stamp recipients can't use their EBT cards. The lack of this simple machine is keeping people from buying fresh food. Many farmers are unable to afford the cost of the equipment (about $1,100 per reader) required to accept the debit cards; others feel the paperwork and record keeping is onerous.

Some (but not all) states have agreed to fund programs to facilitate the use of food stamps at farmers’ markets. Vendors can use hand-held devices, and in some cases cell phones, to process transactions. Other markets, like San Francisco’s Alemany Market, allow EBT card users to exchange their credit for market-specific tokens that can be used at individual booths, but the extra step required has resulted in a drop off in use of food stamps at farmers’ markets.

All of which begs the question: how can we make food stamps easier to use and to accept at farmers’ markets?

the OBJECTIVE

Make it easy to use and accept food stamps at farmers’ markets.

the ASSIGNMENT

Invent a low cost, easy to implement solution. Is it an app? Centralized check-out? Delivery? Something totally low tech? Barter? Trade? Let us know.

the REQUIREMENTS

Post a comment, tweet @GOOD, or e-mail projects[at]goodinc[dot]com with your solution to the problem of how to accept food stamps at farmers' markets. Your response can take the form of a sentence, a paragraph, a sketch, an annotated photo—whatever you think will best convey your idea. Deadline is Monday, March 29.

To check this site click here.

Friday at Central Dallas Ministries Resource Center

This is the scene that greeted us on Friday morning.

A line of neighbors over 100 strong strung out in the heavy rain.

Why?

Waiting to receive groceries, including fresh vegetables and fruit.

The need, the food insecurity, the hunger--it's all on the increase, and dramatically.

1,000,000 pounds!

During September, Central Dallas Ministries passed the 1 MILLION pound mark of groceries distributed to our low-income neighbors.

1 MILLION pounds!

Through June 30, 2009, our food distribution channel had distributed more food than during all of 2008.

A combination of factors explains the rather startling growth.

First, we entered into a new collaboration with Crossroads Community Services (CCS), a ministry of the First United Methodist Church Dallas. We've adopted the robust nutritional guidelines employed by CCS, as well as their "pounds delivered criteria" and their data tracking system.

Second, CDM serves more individuals than any other food distribution site in Dallas. So far in 2009, we have served well over 5,000 more unduplicated individuals than was the case over the same period in 2008.

So, there is the explanation back of the amazing numbers: More people served with more and higher quality food delivered.

Distributing food is essential, especially in tough economic times like these. Savings achieved by families who use our food pantry means dollars freed up from tight, limited budgets to pay for housing, clothing, health care, transportation and child care.

On October 22 CDM will present, host and roll out our web-based "Second Annual Community Hunger Day."

You can help!

To find out how click here!

I know we can count on you.
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