November 2015

News

WhyHunger's 30th Hungerthon Campaign Kicks Off

2015 marks the 30th year for WhyHunger's Hungerthon tradition that has tapped into the power of radio personalities, listeners, celebrities and fans to raise $15 million to fight for an end to hunger in America and the right to nutritious for food all. WhyHunger and its radio partners team up each November to engage the public through Hungerthon radio broadcasts, social media and an extensive celebrity online auction. Funds raised are invested in long-term community-based solutions that help people in need in communities across America.

"Hungerthon is an incredible opportunity to raise awareness about how hunger and poverty are affecting Americans and what people can do to make a difference," said Noreen Springstead, WhyHunger's Executive Director. "With the help of the community and radio partners like SiriusXM Satellite Radio, CBS Radio New York and iHeartMedia, we can continue to work across the country to build local power, support sustainable solutions to end hunger and help more families access nutritious, affordable food."With 48 million Americans struggling with hunger, WhyHunger asks supporters to join the campaign. Learn how you can take action and contribute to WhyHunger's work here.

Hunger and Health

A Path Forward: Innovations at the Intersection of Hunger & Health Guide

WhyHunger's latest resource guide, A Path Forward: Innovations at the Intersections of Hunger & Health profiles three dynamic organizations: God's Love We Deliver, Capital Roots and Elijah's Promise, who understand the connection between hunger and health and are working to improve the health of their communities in innovative ways. Each organization offers an example of how fresh, healthy, nourishing food can have a profound effect on the health of low-income people suffering from acute and chronic illnesses, and from poverty itself. Read the guide here.

Building The Movement

What's the Harm in Drug Testing Welfare Recipients?

After recent successes in 2012 with eliminating finger imaging in New York, a new tactic has emerged to withhold support from public assistance. Up to thirteen states have passed legislation requiring drug testing before applicants can qualify for public assistance. The latest to join is Wisconsin. A total of 18 states introduced proposals requiring drug testing in 2015, but 5 of those were unsuccessful. Evidence shows that prerequisite drug testing only results in preventing the poor from getting access to needed social assistance. A highly effective program for lifting people out of poverty is being used to criminalize the poor.

Low drug use in welfare recipients has been established, challenging the claim that the costs of administering drug testing to social assistance applicants is offset by the savings to denying assistance to those who currently use drugs. Further, such rules increase the shame people feel around applying for welfare benefits in the first place, further stigmatizing the poor and those dealing with drug addiction. People of color have the most to lose, since they are disproportionately more likely to be charged and convicted of drug-related crimes. Government programs like SNAP and WIC offer those struggling with poverty and related problems an opportunity to provide for their own needs and those of their families. In fact, food stamps do more to fight poverty than the government reports. Like the "Ban the Box" campaign which is attempting to eliminate the discrimination people face in getting a job when they have a prior arrest or conviction, so should we expose similar attempts to prevent those most vulnerable from obtaining government assistance that is a critical pathway our of poverty.

The Street Vendor Project & the Lift the Caps Campaign

The Street Vendor Project is a membership-based project with nearly 2,000 active vendor members who are working together to create a vendors' movement for permanent change. There are more than 20,000 street vendors in New York City - hot dog vendors, flower vendors, book vendors, street artists and many others. Most are immigrants and people of color. They work long hours under harsh conditions and in recent years, vendors have been denied access to vending licenses. Many streets have been closed to them at the urging of powerful business groups. SVP reaches out to vendors and teaches them about their legal rights and responsibilities. They hold meetings where they plan collective actions for getting their voices heard. In their words: "the idea that certain populations are "voiceless" is a false one. It's not that they don't have a voice; it's that we [the public] don't listen."

Despite attempts at making an honest living, vendors are subject to many unjust regulations which make their work an incredible challenge. An important campaign that will increase the number of permits and licenses, increase space for vending, and bring justice to NYC vendors is called Lift The Caps. Since the early 1980s, an unreasonable cap has been placed on the number of available food permits and general vending licenses. This cap effectively makes street vending illegal for thousands of vendors and has led to the creation of a black market where permits (originally purchased from the City for $200) are now sold upwards of $20,000. Lifting the caps on permits and licenses would not only decriminalize vending for thousands of hard-working New Yorkers, but also generate a significant increase to New York City's revenue. Along with increased city revenue, there will be an added street food diversity that can include increased access to fresh fruit and vegetables through a larger NYC Green Carts presence. Read more about Street Vending in this report.

Resources

Transforming Food Access Summit: Accelerating Affordability with Nutrition Incentives

Wholesome Wave is hosting the Transforming Food Access Summit: Accelerating Affordability with Nutrition Incentives, to be held at the Emory Conference Center and Hotel in Atlanta, GA from January 11-13, 2016. This event will be an opportunity to gather a diverse range of community-based organizations, researchers, healthcare practitioners and more to advance solutions toward the next phase of food equity and healthy food access. The goal is for attendees - whether national policymakers or grassroots-level leaders - to take away practical and innovative tactics to improve access to healthy, locally grown food. The schedule is up and you can register before November 20, 2015 with the EARLYBIRD2016 code, to receive a discount here.

Changing The Food Chain: An Action Map For Food Chain Workers & Organizations

Changing The Food Chain is a collaboration between the Food Chain Workers Alliance [FCWA] and the award-winning documentary film, The Hand That Feeds. This interactive map aims to facilitate community engagement with organizations that support and interact with workers in the food system across the United States. They define regularly interact as organizing, providing services for, and/or advocating on behalf of any sector of workers along the food chain. They divided up organizations into four categories: unions, workers centers, advocacy organizations and service organizations. Based on a review of their website, interviews and/or the knowledge of the organization, they put them on the map if they found that a major priority of the organization's time and resources is focused on food workers. To find out more about the map and how to use it and get involved, read more here. The Hand That Feeds is appearing in theaters around the country as a part of their non-traditional release, so if you're interested in learning more about that and connect with the filmmakers, read more here.

Food Banks as Partners in Health Promotion: Creating Connections for Client & Community Health Report

In cooperation with Harvard Law School;s Center for Health Law Policy and Innovation (CHLPI), Feeding America has released a new report, Food Banks as Partners in Health Promotion: Creating Connections for Client & Community Health. The project is designed to provide food banks with a better understanding of changes in the health care landscape that have resulted from the Affordable Care Act, and the resulting opportunities for partnerships to support community health efforts. They encourage food bank leadership, community outreach, nutrition, policy, development and other staff interested in developing healthcare partnerships to read this report. Read more here.

The US Farm Bill: Corporate Power and Structural Racialization in the US Food System Report

In a new report released by UC Berkeley's Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society on the US Farm Bill finds that corporate control and structural racialization within the US food system leaves marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by the agricultural policies and outcomes generated by the Farm Bill. This report fills a void in food and agriculture policy research and analysis by providing a comprehensive, multidimensional critique of the US Farm Bill. Aimed at advocates, practitioners, policymakers and researchers from across social justice movements, the report was written with the ultimate aim to support Farm Bill negotiation policy campaigns and offer a framework that will support a broad-based movement for food sovereignty. Read the report here.

In This Issue

WhyHunger's 30th Hungerthon Campaign Kicks Off

A Path Forward: Innovations at the Intersection of Hunger & Health Guide

What's the Harm in Drug Testing Welfare Recipients?

The Street Vendor Project & the Lift the Caps Campaign

Transforming Food Access Summit: Accelerating Affordability with Nutrition Incentives

Changing The Food Chain: An Action Map For Food Chain Workers & Organizations

Food Banks as Partners in Health Promotion: Creating Connections for Client & Community Health Report

The US Farm Bill: Corporate Power and Structural Racialization in the US Food System Report

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

Our Hotline number has changed to 1-800-5-HUNGRY. Please update your records and find outreach materials here.

Nourishing Change 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 nourish@whyhunger.org

Nourish Network for the Right to Food

WhyHunger

505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 2100

New York, New York 10018

nourish@whyhunger.org

212-629-8850

Contributors: Betty Fermin, Calondra McArthur and Jessica Powers.