July 2014

News

Stories from the Hotline:

Hunger is a Health Issue

The Hotline received a call from an elderly woman from Strasburg, Pennsylvania. She had been to her doctor, who noted that she had lost weight, and asked if she was eating enough food. When she explained that between medical expenses, a reduction in SNAP benefits and having a fixed income, that she often couldn't afford enough food to eat, the doctor provided the information for the National Hunger Hotline. The Hotline advocate was able to provide resources for local food pantries and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and the woman was glad that she could get help while maintaining her independence.

Help spread the word! Hotline posters, web banners and other promotional materials are available for download here.

WhyHunger's Community Learning Project

At WhyHunger, one of our goals is to create a network of emergency food providers working towards community food security. One of our core approaches in the Nourish Project is the Community Learning Project (CLP), a one-year peer-to-peer learning exchange which facilitates knowledge and resource sharing and builds institutional capacity for emergency food providers in the community food security/food justice movement.

We know there is a growing group of emergency food providers around the country who are thinking about and taking action towards redefining their roles in addressing food insecurity in their communities. Is your organization thinking about and/or engaging in community food security work? Is there something you'd like to share with and learn from another organization? If so, we'd like to get to know you! If you are interested in participating in Nourish's Community Learning Project, tell us about your organization here.

Back in March we shared reflections from the team at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard (Bloomington, Indiana) after a site visit to their Nourishing Connections partners Neighbors Together (New York, NY) in Brooklyn, NY. This month, we are checking in with the community learning pair after Neighbors Together's site visit to Indiana. Read Neighbors Together's reflections from Denny Marsh and Amy Blumsack here.

Voices from the Field

Community Voices: Stories from the front lines of food justice in America

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our newest web resource, a digital storytelling site showcasing voices of leaders and communities across the country on the front lines of food justice. Telling the story of hunger and poverty is at the core of WhyHunger's work - we believe that in order to build a movement for food justice we need to amplify the stories of successful, sustainable solutions and the people transforming their communities from the ground up.

For three years, WhyHunger has worked with writer and photographer David Hanson to connect with over 50 organizations, many of whom have received a grant from the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program (CFP) program, throughout the US. He's traveled to meet with farmers, youth employees, teachers, senior citizens, ranchers, community organizers, refugees, garden leaders and health care workers, listening to their personal narratives and learning what food and food justice mean to them and their communities on the front lines.

Under the Mango Tree: New Documentary Follows Ghanaian Community Food Program

Two summers ago, I found myself sweating in northern Ghana's hot sun, following a t-shirt-clad doctor around his clinic's grounds. Dr. David Abdulai spoke with the strength and humility of a Zen teacher and had an unusual approach to healthcare: in addition to medicine, he treats his patients with unconditional acceptance. A year later, I returned to Shekhinah Clinic to film a documentary about their food program, which delivers daily meals to over 150 of the city's mentally ill homeless population. Under the Mango Tree is a forthcoming film about how food repaired the relationship between the mentally ill homeless population and the citizens of Tamale, Ghana.

According to Human Rights Watch, there is one psychiatrist for every 2 million people in Ghana. Psychiatric hospitals often lack the resources to provide adequate food and medicine and face challenges with overcrowding. The widespread belief that mental illness is caused by evil spirits, demons, or witchcraft has led to the development of spiritual healing centers called "prayer camps," where, according to a UN report, people with mental disabilities are chained to trees and denied food and water for days at a time. The same UN report expresses disappointment with the newly formed Mental Health Authority, which has not yet begun monitoring mental health facilities as required by Ghana's 2012 Mental Health Act. Shekhinah Clinic is one of the few healthcare facilities that welcomes those suffering from mental illness without judgment, mistreatment, or force, and it has what may be the only meals-on-wheels-style program in Tamale, making it a vital source of emergency food.

To read more, click here.

Resources

Why Movement Building is Necessary in the Fight Against Hunger

Hunger will not be solved by food distribution and policy alone. We need to build a movement to transform our food system and build community food security. In this short presentation, WhyHunger's Global Movements Program explains why movement building is necessary and why we work with social movements. You can view and share the presentation here.

Beyond Bread:

Healthy Food Sourcing in Emergency Food Programs

WhyHunger is excited to release a new publication on healthy food sourcing in emergency food programs. Featuring program profiles and resources, the guide features strategies employed by food banks and agencies, including building relationships with farmers, creating voucher programs, teaching people how to grow their own food and supporting an organizational culture that prioritizes nutrition. Download the guide here.

In This Issue

Stories from the Hotline: Hunger is a Health Issue

WhyHunger's Community Learning Project

Community Voices

Under the Mango Tree: New Documentary

Why Movement Building is Necessary in the Fight Against Hunger

Please verify that your organization's profile is accurate in the database. To update your record, email nhc@whyhunger.org. If your organization is not in the database, please join us here.

The Clearinghouse Connection is meant to encourage conversation and dialogue about transforming communities, community food security and the emergency food system. We want to hear from you! Email us at nhc@whyhunger.org.

National Hunger Clearinghouse

WhyHunger

505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100

New York, New York 10018

nhc@whyhunger.org

212-629-8850

Contributors: Susanne Babb, Liz Joyce, Katrina Moore, Jessica Powers and Tristan Quinn-Thibodeau.