The Good, and the Bad, News on Hunger

The good: today the Senate, by a vote of 65-33, defeated a bid to cut back on SNAP (food stamps) - sanity reigns for a short time at least.
The bad: Arizona is now last (with Oregon) in the US in the percentage of kids suffering from hunger. While the percentage in the US is 21.6, in Arizona it's 28.8 (and growing).

Tim & Willie Pitch-in to Help St. Mary's

Legendary KMLE personalities Tim & Willie are holding a "Donation Before Vacation" drive for St. Mary's on June 21-23. Listen to them Wednesday and Thursday from 5-9am. In addition, St. Mary's personnel will be collecting food and funds at Albertsons locations at 8240 W. Deer Valley Rd. in Peoria, Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix, and 11475 Via Linda in Scottsdale from 6-9am on June 21 & 22, and with KMLE personalities from 9a-2p on June 23.

Boy Scout Provides Water for St. Mary's

Tanner Jensen signed up for an Eagle Scout Project to provide a water donation to St. Mary's, an important commodity during the hot summer months ahead. Getting support from his relatives, church, and local stores, Tanner collected over 12,500 pounds of water, almost 500 cases. Congrats to Tannerfor a job well done!

Help From Everywhere for St. Mary's

The shelves at St. Mary's are 30% leaner than a year ago. But thanks to thousands (yes, thousands) of people, the shelves will be filling up soon. The Letter Carriers food drive has generated over 230,000 lbs. of food, a food drive held at Big Surf Water Park collected over 10,000 lbs., and the Kids Feeding Kids food drive will generate over 25,000 meals. Thanks to the organizations holding the drives, and to the people who contributed!

Kids Feeding Kids

St. Mary's Food Bank is holding its 1st Kids Feeding Kids food drive. Kids in Elementary and Middle Schools throughout the Valley are joining the drive to help those kids who face a summer without the free or reduced rate breakfasts and lunches provided during the school year. The kids know the value of a full stomach, and even those students whose lives face economic challenges are stepping up to join the drive.We hope that this first drive will lay the groundwork for students to share with others in the future.

 

Food4Fines Helps Fill Food Bank's Shelves 

Once again libraries in Phoenix have stepped up to help fill the shelves at St. Mary's Food Bank. Twelve branches collected almost 25,000lbs. through their F4F program, where borrowers can pay off overdue book fees by donating cans of food to the Food Bank.

Imagination Runs Rampant at CANstruction

Now in its fifth year in Phoenix, CANstruction shows the ability of bright minds to develop unique creations, in this case tied to the subject of hunger. The show runs through April 7 at the PHX Convention Center (West Bldg.) Monroe & 2nd Sts. At the conclusion of the show, all the cans (56,000 lbs. of them) will be donated to St. Mary's Food Bank.

So go and be amazed!

Food & Social Justice

Basic economic and nutritional security is essential for all people, with the right to have timely access to food as a nutritional and social justice issue. The financial and economic crisis that began in 2008 has devastated thousands of households throughout Arizona. Unemployment, underemployment , furloughs, salary reductions, and businesses closing have inflicted enormous cost on families, limiting their ability to access and purchase food. By now we’re all familiar with the numbers – 1 in 4 children, 1 in 5 adults, 1 in 7 seniors – of those living with poverty and hunger daily.
Given this situation, the Hunger 101 program is important because it educates the public about the issues surrounding hunger, the effects of hunger, and makes them aware of the tools to meet the challenge. One of those important tools are food drives, which provide an emotional lift to the contributors, as well as providing many of the essential items used to make up our Emergency Food Boxes.
St. Mary’s is in the front lines of the fight to provide food to those in need. As part of our mission to alleviate hunger, we distribute an average of 850 Emergency Food Boxes each day; we distribute food to nearly 600 agency sites throughout the state; and each day our Kids Cafe® distributes almost 3,000 “smiles” at after-school sites throughout the Valley. Those smiles, and yes, tears from the recipients are why we do what we do.

See "The Hunger Games" and Help St. Mary's
One of the most anticipated films of the season, Hunger Games premieres in the Valley on Mar. 23. From Mar.23-29, UltraStar Cinemas in Surprise and Scottsdale will give you some popcorn for a donation of canned food.
For more info, visit www.ultrastarmovies.com.

A Food Drive of Note - PHX Symphony Holds Drive for St. Mary's

Again this year, the PHX Symphony is holding a food drive for St. Mary's Food Bank. Bring canned food items and join the Symphony on Mar. 22 and 24 (Elgar's Enigma Variations) or on March 30, 31, or Apr.1 (the Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein).

It's Time to Get in Bed With Mark and Help St. Mary's

Join Mark Mayfield of KSLX as he gets in a Sleep America bed to raise food and funds for St. Mary's Food Bank. Now in its 6th year, Mark will be in bed in front of the Sleep America store at Paradise Valley Mall from Mar. 21-23. In addition, KSLX will also be at Albertsons stores in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and in the East and West Valley. For a list of these locations visit http://www.kslx.com/ or http://www.firstfoodbank.org/. Last year, Mark raised enough food and funds to supply over 160,000 meals. And he's raising the bar for this year.

Curves in Surprise Holds Drive to help St. Mary's
A long-time supporter of St. Mary's Food Bank, Surprise Curves is holding its 14th Annual Food Drive for the Food Bank. From Mar. 19-31, prospective members who bring in a bag full of canned food will not have to pay a sign-up fee, based on a one-year contract. Current members who bring a bag full of canned food will be entered into a raffle for Curves merchandise. For more info, call 623 875-2575, or visit Curves at 14291 W. Grand Ave. Ste. 110.

St. Mary's Kids Cafe Delivers Nutritious Meals - Smiles Result

Kids Cafe delivers over 2,000 meals daily to schools, community centers, and Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the Valley. Many of the kids qualify for free or reduced rate breakfasts or lunches at their school. The KC often provides the evening meal for many of the kids. These after-school programs often combine sports and/or homework instruction with the meal, resulting with smiles on the faces of the kids, and their teachers.

Find Out What it Means to be Hungry
Over 800,000 Arizonans live at or below the poverty line, and hunger effects them almost every day. This weekend (March 9,10,&11) the Tumbleweed Center will be presenting "Food for Thought", describing what it means to be hungry - physically, mentally, and spiritually. Performances, part of the Phoenix Fringe Festival, take place at Warehouse 1005, 1005 N. 1st St., Phoenix. Info and tickets at www.phxfringe.org.

St. Mary's Kids Cafe Provides Nutritious Meals to "At Risk" Kids

Over 25% of kids in Arizona live below the poverty line; this means that many of those kids miss at least one meal every day. St. Mary's Kids Cafe program provides up to 3,000 meals daily to kids at over 40 sites throughout the Valley. Volunteers prepare brown bag meals (sandwich, fruit, milk) which are then delivered to schools and community centers where kids participate in after-school programs, doing sports or homework. The program will soon introduce hot meals service, and ultimately hopes to increase overall production to 4,ooo meals daily. There is no cost to any of the host sites. You can help Kids Cafe by donating funds, or by volunteering to prepare meals or by conducting site visits.

Founder's Vision Alive and Well

Now celebrating its 45th Anniversary, St. Mary's Food Bank lives the mission of its Founder, John van Hengel, each day of the year. However, each February the Food Bank honors Mr. van Hengel on Founders Day, by volunteering. On February 21 (which would have been his 89th birthday) employees helped distribute 267 Emergency Food Boxes to clients at its Knight Center Building.

It's a Great Day for the Classic Car Enthusiast

This Saturday, Feb. 18, will be big day to help St. Mary's Food Bank and see some classic autos. First, the Az Italian-American Club, 7509 N. 12th St. in Phoenix, will be holding an Italian Car Show from 10a-2p, showcasing modern and classic Italian cars. Then, the Vistancia Car Show takes place from 12n-4p at 28620 N. El Mirage Rd. in Peoria. Both venues will feature music and food, and both will be collecting food and funds for the Food Bank.

Employee's Heartfelt Essay Earns St. Mary's $2,000

Keegan Shoening's company, Da Vita Inc., asked employees to write an essay touting a local non-profit, with the winning essay to earn $1,000 for the non-profit. Well, Keegan's essay about the Food Bank and the need to fight hunger in Arizona was so profound that the the company awarded St. Mary's $2,000 (equivalent to 14,000 meals).

Fry's & Channel 15 Take a Bite out of Hunger with 100 Ton Drive

In honor of Arizona's Centennial, Fry's and KNXV-TV are holding a food drive in February with the aim of raising 100 tons of food for Arizona food banks. Visit any Fry's and purchase and donate non-perishable food items and/or donate $1 at the checkout to generate even more meals.

It's Keen to Glean . . . and Help Those in Need

We all know that citrus (grapefruit, oranges, lemons, etc.) is a great source of vitamins. For a long time, volunteers have helped the Food Bank by gleaning citrus; last year we collected almost 2 millions pounds.

However, we always seem to have more trees then volunteers to gleam them. So, for the third year, we are asking people to glean their trees and bring the fruit to us. On Feb 4, from 9a-2p, we will be at three locations (Arcadia, the Central Corridor, and Peoria) collecting citrus. Visit http://www.firstfoodbank.org/ for more info, including the exact locations.

This is a great opportunity for neighbors to get together, glean citrus, and help those in need.

New Rules on School Meals Mean Healthier Fare for Kids
On January 25, the Obama Administration instituted new rules covering government-subsidized school meals. Some of the changes: doubling the amount of fruits and veggies, using low fat milk, serving only whole grains, and setting minimum and maximum caloric intake per day, based on a child's age. These regulations replace a much broader set of regulations that were blocked by Congress after various industry groups objected. The new regulations will add an estimated $3.2 billion to the cost of the program.

Will Cost Determine Which Kids Get Nutritional Meals at School?
A government program, spearheaded by Michelle Obama, seeks to promote healthy eating by those students who get free or reduced-rate meals at school. It's manditory for elementary schools in Arizona to take part in the federal lunch program. But now Sen. Rich Crandall (R) has proposed a bill in the Arizona Legislature that would allow schools to opt out of the program. Even though the vast majority of the food program is covered by federal funds, Crandall feels that the new program will impose extra costs on the schools. But if schools drop-out of the program, where will students get nutritious meals - often the school provides the major meal(s) of the day.

Obesity Rates Hold Constant Over 12 Year Span
The rates of obesity in the US have held steady over the past 12 years, suggesting that attempts to promote healthful eating and excercise have largely proved unsuccessful. Dr. David Ludwig of Children's Hospital in Boston feels that because "Children will be entering adulthood heavier than they've ever been, the epidemic will continue to mount for years to come. Unless we actually see declines in the body mass index, we can't confidently say prevention efforts have succeeded."

Health Sector Takes on Challenge of Childhood Obesity
Various sectors of the healthcare industry are searching for ways to retard the growth of childhood obesity. They are looking to education rather than dieting to achive their goals. Educating children (and their parents) to make better choices in the foods they eat, rather than talking about dieting, has become part of their "curriculum". Children, particularly teenagers, often rebel against the strict guidelines that dieting entails. Often these educational sessions are held in community centers, Boys & Girls Clubs, or the Y, rather than in hospitals. For the full story, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/health/learning-to-be-lean.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25.

Why Trimming the Fat is Difficult, Especially for Kids
According to a study released in 2010, 16.4% of American kids 10-17 are considered obese; in Arizona the figure is over 18%. A number of factors contribute to this problem:
a)a lack of physical activity in schools - budget reductions have led some districts to reduce or eliminate PE classes
b)lack of physical activity after school - video games and television have replaced basketball and baseball (especially in summer) for many kids
c)family income - working poor families often do not have the time or money to provide nutritious meals to their children; fast foods provide a quick but insufficient substitute.
For help or for more information, visit http://www.active.com/, http://www.eatwellbewell.org/, http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/, and http://www.letsmove.gov/.