Free Food (for your mind) at Hunger 101

Hunger 101 is an education program of St. Mary's Food Bank that covers the subjects of hunger, poverty, and nutrition. Each month we cover these topics in a series of sessions, most less than an hour, at our 31st Ave. location. Join us in July for:

• Faces of Hunger on July 7 from 1:00-2:00PM
• Label Me Nutritious on July 14 from 1:00-2:00PM
• Advocacy & Action on July 15 from 12:00-1:00PM
• Impacts of Hunger on July 21 from 1:00-2:00PM
• Fast Foods: Making Healthy Choices on July 22 from 12:30-1:30PM
• The Food Game on July 28 from 1:30-3:30PM.

For more information, or to reserve a seat, call 602 343-3164. Visit www.firstfoodbank.org and click on Hunger 101 for an in-depth look at the curriculum.

Here's a Bit of Skinny About Fat

Like the weather, everybody talks about fat, but unlike the weather, you can do something about it. Here are some useful bits of information on this important subject:

• fat is necessary for basic metabolism and disease prevention, but no more than 30% of daily caloric intake should be from fat


• unsaturated fats (e.g., olives, avocados, tuna) are best, but in moderation (see above); saturated fats (e.g., high-fat dairy products, fatty meats) should be limited; trans-fats should be avoided


• when reading food labels (and you should), keep in mind that each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories


• if you do cardio or resistance training at the gym, you have to keep at it for 30 minutes before you burn fat


• and finally, remember - "Liposuction is not a cure for obesity"

Children are at Risk 'Cause Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation

Summertime means vacations to many people, but for at-risk kids (and their parents) summertime is a time of anxiety and crisis. During the rest of the year, many of these kids participate in free or reduced-rate breakfast and lunch programs at school. But with schools closed, it is now up to the parents to feed their kids, often putting a strain on already tight budgets. Often, the parents turn to St. Mary's Food Bank for help; the demand for food this month is up over 120% from last year. You can help the Food Bank in its campaign to "Send Hunger Packing"; visit http://www.firstfoodbank.org/ to find out how.

Increase Your Knowledge, Attend a Hunger 101 Session

Increase your knowledge of hunger, poverty, and nutrition issues by attending a FREE Hunger 101AZ session in July. All sessions, most of which last less than 1 hour, are held in the Volunteer Center at our 31st Ave. location. Among the topics are: Impacts of Hunger (7/21), Label Me Nutritious (7/14), Advocacy & Action (7/15), The Food Game (7/28), Faces of Hunger (7/7), and Fast Foods: Healthy Choices (7/22). For more info, or to register, call 602-343-3164 or email rlcombe@firstfoodbank.org.

Falling Economy Spurs Increase in Free School Lunches

Echoing statistics locally, a report in USA Today shows that nearly 20 million children nation-wide now receive free or reduced-rate lunches in school. As a result, many school districts are having trouble coming up with funds to handle the rising costs, leading one Congressman to call for an increase in the federal subsidy in upcoming legislation.
For more information, visit: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/11/20090611schoollunch-usat.html

Get in the NUTRITION Game

Here's a great (and fun) way to teach your kids the benefits of good nutrition! The US Dept. of Agriculture has a website geared to kids, with games and puzzles showing the advantages of proper nutrition. Climb the (Food) Pyramid, play the "Blast Off" game, and learn about proper diet. There's loads of materials available for FREE! Just visit http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html and let the games begin.

All About Nutrition
Want information on Acid Reflux, or Lactose Intolerance? This site has info on that and more - diet info for men, organic shopping, and healthy dining out. Just go to http://nutrition.about.com/ and click on "Health Castle". Check out the other sites too.

The Importance of Volunteering
As I write this, a contingent of over 100 members of the Phoenix office of a national accounting firm are in our warehouse packing food boxes, and preparing info packets to be distributed at Food Bank events next week. Their help, and the help of other groups, big and small, as well as scores of individual volunteers, is crucial to the Food Bank in fulfilling its mission. We're grateful for their help; many groups find the experience so fulfilling they return three, four, or five times per year. If you or your group are interested in volunteering at any of our facilities, visit www.firstfoodbank.org.

What experiences have you had in volunteering?

If you're a non-profit that uses volunteers, what experiences have you had with them?