Volunteers....A Gift to the Community

I have to admit that until coming to work for Feeding America, I had no idea the depth of what this organization does, who it helps or the number of people it helps. I had forgotten that there are still so many kind-hearted people out there willing to give up their personal time with friends and family to help complete strangers. 

The volunteers of Feeding America are more important than they could ever realize. They show up after working all day or going to school, they don’t let rain or heat stop them from showing up to help and they never ask for or expect kudos from anyone.  Well, to those unsung heroes, I say thank you. Thank you for making other people’s lives a little better, a little easier, a little more enjoyable. 

Our volunteers really are our heroes here at Feeding America.

Food Banks Fear They Will Fall Short in Efforts to Feed the Nation's Hungry

April 4, 2012




Higher food costs and rising gas prices could prove to be damaging to the nation's food banks and their ability to provide adequate emergency food to the nearly 49 million Americans who are currently living at risk of hunger, Feeding America, the network of the nation's largest food banks, announced.
Although recent reports indicate that the economy is beginning to improve and that the unemployment rate is also beginning to shrink, Feeding America's food banks continue to face significant struggles as America recovers from the worst economic recession in decades.
The Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 local partners are feeding 37 million Americans a year, including nearly 14 million children and 3 million seniors.  But with rising operating costs and decreasing supply, a number of factors are contributing to a "perfect storm" of challenges that threaten to leave food banks unable to meet the need in their communities.
Gas prices increased 26 percent in 2011, adding tremendous costs to transporting food. Increased fuel costs particularly affect rural areas, where populations are less dense. Many food banks support emergency feeding across a vast service area.
Food inflation is also hitting food banks hard. Grocery prices increased an average rate of 6 percent in the last half of 2011, and food banks have been hard pressed to make up the difference.
Feeding America Food banks have seen significant increases in the price of household staples like milk, which increased in price by nine percent in 2011, and peanut butter, which costs 38 percent more now than it did a year ago. Rising food prices also mean that healthy, nutritious food becomes further out of reach for many of the clients served by Feeding America, further increasing their reliance on food banks

FARM BILL

The Hill, Farm Bill necessary for nation's food security

Americans enjoy the most abundant, safe and affordable food supply in the world. In fact, Americans spend less than 10 percent of their incomes on food -- the lowest in the world. Citizens in many other countries spend over 50 percent of their incomes on food.
Why is this? Certainly it's the hard work of American farmers and ranchers, new technology and wise stewardship of our natural resources. But a national farm policy that supports agriculture and provides a safety net for our farmers also plays a role. Agriculture policy has evolved over the years but its primary focus has endured: food security for our nation.
Serving on the House Agriculture Committee I see the benefits of ensuring a safe, adequate food supply for all Americans. We have seen the vulnerability to our country’s economy and high fuel prices due to our reliance on foreign energy. We must not make the same mistake with our food supply.

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/214347-rep-vicky-hartzler-r-mo

Anti-Hunger Policy Conference

Anti-Hunger Policy Conference 

The 2012 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference and National CACFP Leadership Conference will be at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. It is co-sponsored by the Food Research and Action Center and Feeding America in cooperation with the National CACFP Forum Join hundreds of grassroots anti-hunger and anti-poverty advocates, food bank,child care, human needs, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, education organizations and others in Washington, D.C. for three days of innovative training, networking and advocacy.  Where Capital Hilton 1001 16th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20036, (202) 393-1000 When Sunday, February 26 - Tuesday, February 28, 2012 Please visit the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference site for more information.

Map the Meal Gap

In order to address the problem of hunger, it is important that we first understand it. Feeding America undertook the Map the Meal Gap project to learn more about the face of hunger at the local community level. By understanding the population in need, communities and partners can better identify strategies for reaching the people who most need food assistance.

When seeking to meet the needs of food insecure individuals and families, it is not always easy to identify the need for food within each of our communities. Map the Meal Gap generates two types of community-level data: County-level food insecurity estimates by income categories; and an estimate of the food budget shortfall that food insecure individuals report they experience.

The goals of the Map the Meal Gap project have been focused on equipping communities with additional analytical tools to help understand the dynamics of food insecurity at the local level and to use this information to better inform discussions about how to respond to the need.  The hope is to join with the many food banks, partner agencies, policy makers, business leaders, community activists and concerned citizens to use these tools to fully engage in the fight against hunger.

Check out the Map the Meal Gap Tool and find out more about your own community at www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap

Harvest for the Hungry Food Drive 2011

ATTENTION:  Businesses, Organizations, Churches and Civic Groups

Please join us November 1 – December 15 as we celebrate our 10th Annual Harvest for the Hungry Food Drive. 

Each year, especially during the holiday season, hunger-relief agencies see an increase in the number of clients requesting food assistance.  In today’s economy, the basic necessities are financially hard for many to obtain.  In an effort to meet those increased demands, we are asking for partners to conduct a food drive during the dates listed above.   

In collaboration with our 242 partner agencies throughout our 42-county service area, our organization is making great strides in hunger-relief efforts. 

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

• Distributing nearly 10 million pounds of food annually throughout our 42-county service area.
• Providing a weekly take-home bag of food, throughout the school year, to nearly 5,000 at-risk children in 33 Kentucky counties.
• Providing a box of food to approximately 5,000 income-eligible seniors each month.
• Picking up approximately 2.5 million pounds of food annually from local grocery stores (Kroger, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Food Lion and Sam’s Club) through our Retail Pick-Up Program; unsalable food items, yet consumable.
• Providing volunteers with packing opportunities at our local Volunteer Center and monthly food distributions.

IF YOUR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION IS INTERESTED IN CONDUCTING A FOOD DRIVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, PLEASE CONTACT ANN STRAND, VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR/DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT, AT 270-735-1407.  THANK YOU.

VOLUNTEERING AND YOUR HEALTH: HOW GIVING BACK BENEFITS EVERYONE

A survey released by UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group company, and VolunteerMatch identifies some of the key health benefits of volunteering. The UnitedHealthcare/VolunteerMatch Do Good. Live Well. Survey of more than 4,500 American adults found that 68 percent of those who volunteered in the past year report that volunteering has made them feel physically healthier. 

Volunteering and Health:

Volunteers agree that volunteering helps them to lead healthier lives.

• 68% of volunteers agree that “volunteering has made me feel physically healthier.”

• 89% of volunteers agree that “volunteering has improved my sense of well-being.”

• 73% of volunteers agree that “volunteering lowers my stress levels.”

• 29% of volunteers who suffer from a chronic condition agree that “volunteering has helped me manage a chronic illness.”

• Volunteering appears to correspond to a healthier BMI. 34% of volunteers are considered to have an “average” BMI, compared to 27% of non-volunteers. In addition, a lower proportion of volunteers (31%) were identified as obese when compared to non-volunteers (36%).

Volunteering and Satisfaction with Life:

Volunteering appears to correspond with higher levels of life satisfaction – including a greater sense of meaning and purpose and higher levels of optimism.

• 92% of volunteers agree that volunteering enriches their sense of purpose in life.

• Volunteers are significantly more likely (72%) to characterize themselves as “optimistic” compared to non-volunteers (60%).

• They are also significantly more likely (36%) to rate their overall satisfaction with their lives as “very good” compared to non-volunteers (26%).

• Volunteers are significantly more likely (42%) to say they have a “very good” sense of meaning in their lives, compared to non-volunteers (28%).

• Volunteers are significantly more likely (40%) to say they have a “very good” sense of purpose in their life, compared to non-volunteers (27%).

Volunteering Rates and Relationship to Work:

Employers have an important role to play in encouraging volunteerism among their employees.

• 25% of those who volunteer do so through their place of work.

• Among those who volunteer through work: o 84% agree that “more people would volunteer if their employers helped provide the means and the motivation.”

o 81% agree that “volunteering with work colleagues has strengthened our relationships.”

o 76% agree that “I feel better about my employer because of their involvement in my volunteer activities.”

o 21% agree that “I would not be a volunteer if it wasn’t for my employer.”

o 88% of all volunteers agree that volunteering provides networking/career development opportunities.

 

-more-

Volunteerism in America

• More than four in every 10 Americans (41%) have volunteered in the last year (e.g., engaged in unpaid service activities, not including giving money or donations).

• 69% of Americans have made donations to an organization in the past year.

• 44% of Americans report that they intend to volunteer in 2010, with many citing “the opportunity to make a difference” as the motivation.