Friday, May 22, 2009

Nutrition Website Shows That "You Are What You Eat"

This is a site loaded with information on all things nutrition: foods that promote health, what food labels tell you, healthy ways to diet, and dietary supplements. They also offer a free newsletter.

All of this is available at http://www.nutritiondata.com/.
Health Advocacy Organization Provides Resource Information for the Hungry

WHEAT, a local hunger and health advocacy organization, has compiled a list of locations in Arizona where those in need can find:
Emergency Food Boxes
Baby Care Boxes
Location of Soup Kitchens
Food Co-op Boxes - purchase food at below supermarket prices
Home Meal Delivery
On-site Meals.

Go to http://www.hungerhurts.org/HungerLinks.asp

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Hunger & Poverty in Arizona
The Association of Arizona Food Banks has released a study done by Feeding America on Child Food Insecurity in 26 states. It shows that for Arizona, 20.2% of children under 18 are food insecure (fifth highest among the states surveyed).

Also, according to the US Census Bureau's 2007 Community Survey:

14.2% or 881,257 Arizonans live in poverty;
20.2% or 330,910 are under the age of 18, meaning that in Arizona, 1 in 5 children live in poverty;
30.3% or nearly 1.9 million people in Arizona are considered to be the "working poor," meaning they live at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Guideline. This is defined as a gross annual income of less than $39,200 for a family of four.

For more info on this and other hunger and nutrition issues, visit http://www.azfoodbanks.org

Monday, May 11, 2009

Here's a short paragraph on the importance of local produce

The Arizona Partnership to End Childhood Hunger
http://endchildhungeraz.org

Farmer’s Markets - Access to Local Fresh Produce
For generations, the diverse geography of Arizona has allowed its farmers to cultivate an exciting variety of fruits and vegetables. Farmers’ Markets all over the state bring the best of these crops directly to you. Come and experience the vibrant colors, the smell of freshly harvested produce, the joyful sounds of an outdoor community market and the juicy taste of the season’s finest fruits and vegetables!
http://endchildhungeraz.org/access-to-produce/farmers-markets-access-to-local-fresh-produce/#more-887

I know that produce, both locally grown and from out-of-state, is important to our ability to fight hunger. What is your organization's experience in securing and distributing produce?