The Food Bank is excited to be a part of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)/Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) 2011 Annual Convention. This year’s conference, held September 30 – October 1, will feature food 4 thought: a campaign designed to emphasize the role of good nutrition in education and to show how each of us can help end hunger in our communities. Especially for low-income students, hunger can affect every aspect of learning, including academic achievement, focus, and attendance. By working with school officials, the Food Bank hopes to help curb childhood hunger in order to give children the best chance for success in school. We are honored to have been chosen for this collaborative effort and thrilled about being a part of TASA/TASB’s focus on hunger.

The Food Bank hopes to use this opportunity to reach out to the more than 8,000 school board members and administrators attending the conference. We plan to discuss how the Food Bank can join forces with schools to establish food pantries, and how participants can become involved in ending hunger through volunteering, donating, and advocacy. In particular, SNAP outreach, Kids Cafe, CHOICES nutrition education program and the Summer Food Service Program are excellent resources for students and their families. By sharing these services with schools, the Food Bank hopes to increase awareness of hunger in Texas and provide food for kids who may not otherwise have access to nutritious meals.

In addition to providing information on Food Bank programs, we are also excited to launch the first-ever QR code Hunger Facts Scavenger Hunt! To participate, conference attendees just need a smart phone. Bring your phone to the Digital Learning Pavilion (DLP) to get started. Using your phone, you can scan QR codes around the conference to find information and complete your questionnaire. Attendees will not only learn more about hunger in Texas but also earn continuing education credits by participating.

We will also be taking donations at the conference. Non-perishable food items can be dropped off in collection bins, and a virtual market is available online for those who cannot bring food items with them. Every dollar donated can provide $5 worth of food to those in need, and 96 percent of each donation goes directly to community programs.

Join us for an open house tour at the Food Bank warehouse. You’ll get a behind the scenes look at our warehouse and teaching garden.  It’s free! Tours last about 30 minutes and will go out every hour from 9 – 11 a.m. and 1 – 3 p.m. Guests should wear closed toed shoes. Contact Ana Perkins at 512-684-2552 or Amanda Guzman at 512-684-2533 to RSVP.

Tour Dates:
Friday, September 23
Friday, September 30

Learn about more Hunger Action Month Activities.

Yesterday as part of Hunger Action Month, we screened the movie DIVE! Living off America’s Waste at the Blanton Museum to a sold-out crowd. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event including our panel guests. View photos of this event.

Don’t forget to fill out and send your advocacy cards to us. We’ll send the cards to your representative in Congress. Also, be sure to look for the “Good Food on My Plate” business card with a special link to our Hunger Action Month digital cookbook. (You may also get the cookbook when you donate online.)

Our panel guests touched on a wide-range of themes and topics. Some of the big takeaways:

Jeremy Siefert, DIVE! filmmaker, says “eat down the fridge” to help reduce food waste at home. That older carrot that’s starting to bend over will taste just fine pureed in a soup.

Hank Perret, CAFB President & CEO, shared the sobering truth about food safety and how one mistake can be devastating to the Food Bank. “If a four year old dies because of food from us, it can shut us down… people could lose faith in the Food Bank” Food safety is also about maintaining the community’s trust in our services. He also encouraged people to take their own journey to understand hunger and food rescue by volunteering, donating and advocating throughout the year with the Food Bank.

Have we become so accustomed to hunger in our society that the idea of ending hunger seems out of reach? Does ending hunger also require a paradigm shift within our society? Elizabeth Engelhardt, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of American Studies and author of “Republic of Barbecue: Stories Beyond the Brisket”, provided historical context to the hunger crisis in America. “There has never been a period in American history when people were not hungry,” she shared.

Thankfully, the Austin community has taken great steps to curb food waste. CAFB’s food rescue partners including H-E-B, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target, Sam’s and Costco, allowed the Food Bank to rescue 4.3 million pounds of food last year alone. Ronda Rutledge City of Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board member and Executive Director of the Sustainable Food Center shared the board’s accomplishments in reducing food waste and ensuring access to healthy affordable local food. You can learn more about this board and sign up for email alerts by visiting the city’s website. Fellow board member, Brandi Clark-Burton shared initiatives set forth by the board’s Food Surplus and Salvage Working Group. Stay tuned for a catalog and map of business that will allow community members and nonprofits to identify salvage opportunities. For more details, check out her blog.

A special thank you goes to Monica Williams, Founding Editor, GivingCity Austin, for moderating and leading the panel discussion. “Here’s your call to action,” she said, “The Blanton is accepting food donations until the end of September, and you get $1 off admission with each donation. The Food Bank and Sustainable Food Center offer great volunteer opportunities and could really use your help. And… clean your plate.”

Did you feel inspired? Overwhelmed? Comment below or take our poll on Facebook.

Join us Thursday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Blanton Museum for a FREE screening of the multi-award winning documentary DIVE!, a film that explores the paradox between wasted food and record-levels of hunger in America. Following the screening, our panel of local experts and the filmmaker will discuss the issues raised in the film and how Austinites can have an active role in solving this problem.

Free tickets are available first-come-first-served at the Blanton beginning 5 p.m. Thursday September 15. Paid parking is available in the Brazos Garage on Brazos Street and MLK. Parking is $3 and don’t forget to bring your ticket with you to the museum.

Our panel: Elizabeth Engelhardt, UT professor and author of Republic of Barbeque: Stories Beyond the Brisket; Hank Perret, Capital Area Food Bank President and CEO; Ronda Rutledge, City of Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board; and filmmaker Jeremy Seifert. Moderated by GivingCity Austin founding editor, Monica Williams.

Co-presenter: The Blanton Museum of Art

About the film
Inspired by a curiosity about society’s careless habit of sending food straight to landfills, the multi award-winning documentary DIVE! follows filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of Los Angeles’ supermarkets. In the process, they salvage thousands of dollars worth of good, edible food – resulting in an eye-opening documentary that is equal parts entertainment, guerilla journalism and call to action.

“…An eye-opening expose on the excesses and waste of the American food industry.”

The News Tribune

“Dive! provides plenty of food for thought about how much we waste.”

The Denver Post

DIVE! has garnered critical praise while raising important questions about hunger and waste in society. This is Seifert’s first film and has been warmly received by audiences across the country, winning nineteen festivals thus far, including the Boulder International, Sedona International, DC Independent, and the Green Film Festival in Seoul.

Writer, Director – Jeremy Seifert

Producers – Jeremy Seifert, Timothy Vatterott, Joshua Alex Kunau

ABOUT THE PANEL

Elizabeth Engelhardt, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of American Studies and author of Republic of Barbecue: Stories Beyond the Brisket

Engelhardt examines America’s food culture and how it evolved over the past century. She studies how popular food choices throughout the United States reveal social histories of race, class and gender. In her book “Republic of Barbecue: Stories Beyond the Brisket,” she examines the barbecue culture in Central Texas.

Dr. Engelhardt’s scholarly interests include food studies, feminist theories, ecological literature and culture, Appalachian Studies, Southern Studies, material culture studies, and the intersections of race, class, and gender in American literature and society. She uses a variety of texts, including photographs, letters, diaries, novels, poems, and recipes and employs interdisciplinary methodologies to understand them. Her newest research looks at gender, food, and foodways across the South.

Hank Perret, President & CEO, Capital Area Food Bank

Hank joined the Food Bank foundation board in 2003, and was most recently employed by Zarlink Semiconductor, where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Communication Products Group.

Prior to joining Zarlink, Mr. Perret was President and Chief Executive Officer for Legerity, Inc., a communications company, from November 2003 to August 2007. From September 2001 to November 2003, he was the Chief Financial Officer for Legerity. Prior to joining Legerity, Hank was the Chief Financial Officer for Actel Corporation.

Hank has also had financial roles at Applied Materials, Inc., National Semiconductor Corporation, Raytheon Semiconductor and General Electric Company. Hank holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University.

Ronda Rutledge, City of Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board member, Executive Director of the Sustainable Food Center

Ronda was appointed by city council to the City of Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board, where she serves on the Access and Wellness Committee. She was introduced to the Sustainable Food Center as an affiliate consultant with Greenlights for Nonprofit Success. Prior to joining SFC, Ronda served as Executive Director of the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, California for nearly ten years. She was a LeaderSpring fellow in the Bay Area – a leadership program for Executive Directors of nonprofit organizations.

Jeremy Seifert, Filmmaker

Born in Tyler, Texas and raised in Colorado, Jeremy Seifert has traveled extensively throughout Asia, South America, Africa, and Europe. He has a B.A. in English Literature from John Brown University and a M.A. in Theology and the Arts from Fuller Theological Seminary. After four years of nonprofit work, Jeremy recently co-founded the production company, Compeller, focusing on documentaries that tell stories from the heart and seek to reconnect us to each other and the earth, while inspiring real change in society. Dive! is Jeremy’s first film and has been well-received around the world, winning 19 film festivals and screening recently on Capitol Hill. When he isn’t dumpster diving, Jeremy can be found in Highland Park, CA with his wife, Nuf, and three children, Finn, Scout, and Pearl.

Monica Williams, Founding Editor, GivingCity Austin

Monica Williams is founding editor of GivingCity Austin, a magazine about local philanthropy on a mission to build and support our community’s growing culture of giving. Founded in 2007, the magazine began as a blog, then an online publication and with the next issue will add a print component as well. As an online publication, the magazine’s growth and distribution can be attributed directly to social media, with Monica using Twitter and Facebook since 2007 to share the content. While GivingCity had always been a side project for Monica, in 2010 it was adopted by the Austin Community Foundation, which now supports GivingCity’s content and distribution. Monica also produces a magazine for Mobile Loaves & Fishes called 12 Baskets, which also utilizes social media for distribution.

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released their annual study on food access and adequacy, food spending, and sources of food assistance for the U.S. population.

Nearly one in five Texans are at risk of hunger, the second highest rate in the nation.

For the past four years, the percentage of food insecure individuals in Texas has been on a steady growth and Texas has been consistently above the national average.

Food insecurity, or people at risk of hunger, can be defined as the inability to obtain adequate, healthy, affordable food in socially acceptable ways. Food insecurity may occur because families cannot reach food, lack access to stores selling affordable food, and in the case of natural disasters such as the wildfires. Obesity, diet-related diseases, absenteeism from work and school, and mental health issues are at greater risk in individuals suffering with food insecurity.

For the first time, a joint release by the Texas Food Bank Network and Baylor University’s Texas Hunger Initiative measures and describes in detail the pervasive hunger problem at the county level. The report also provides a blueprint on how to end hunger in Texas through specific actions at the grassroots level that will broaden access to resources and engage in policy change. This “blueprint to end hunger” incorporates the newest national data on hunger made available by Feeding America, along with U.S. Census data and statewide data on usage of federal and state programs. Download the full report (74MB).

Hunger and food insecurity is a preventable and solvable public health issue. Join us in the fight to end hunger by taking part in Hunger Action Month activities.

The mission of Capital Area Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger. Part of our job is to raise awareness of the scale of the hunger crisis, who the hungry are, and why they are hungry. And to give the hungry a voice.

As our governor is now running for President, we were visited recently by a journalist from the British newspaper The Observer, who wanted to see for himself who the hungry are in Texas, you can find his article here.

Having a mirror held up to our society is never pleasant. But part of being able to fix anything is the realization and acceptance that there is a problem in the first place. Hunger is political.

It is not caused by lack of food – in the face of a steady caloric increase in the American diet and rising population, there is enough food to go feed Americans and the world.

It is not caused by lack of innovation – America is home to some of the world’s greatest universities and innovative businesses. And, farms have found new ways to produce more on less (whether this is good, is a debate for another time).

And it is not caused by mother nature.  Yes, the recent droughts have hit Texas farmers and ranchers hard, and commodity prices for dairy and other food products are on the rise. However, the climate impact has not outpaced improvements and efficiencies in agricultural production. Can mother nature causing temporary food shortages in America – yes, but hunger – no.

Hunger in Texas is caused by a lack of political will to treat this problem with the seriousness and urgency that it deserves.  Today’s Texas is a reflection of political decisions; where rising economic tides don’t lift all boats, and the weakest may only have a twig to hold on to.

CAFB’s John Turner, senior director of marketing provides further insight in The Observer’s op-ed section.

One of the questions I’m constantly asked here at the food bank in Austin, Texas is: “I don’t understand why there are so many people who are hungry: why is that?” They say things like, “I heard that thanks to Governor Rick Perry, the Texas economy is booming, isn’t it? Texas‘s unemployment rate is lower than the national average; companies are relocating here in droves. Aren’t these just homeless or lazy people in line for food handouts?”

My answer is simple. Many individuals and families here are just not earning enough money to put food on the table. In fact there is much more to the vaunted Texas “economic miracle” than meets the eye. It is an enticing mirage with a grim human story shimmering in the heat of this scorching Texas summer.

While it is true that the Texas unemployment rate of 8.4% is below the national average of 9.1%, it is also true that according to the bureau of labour statistics, of the 211,000 jobs created last year, 37% of these new jobs paid at or below minimum wage.

To place it in perspective, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, or $14,500 per year. This type of wage and job creation doesn’t create a living, much less long-term prosperity. According to the Centre for Public Policy Priorities, an average family without employer sponsored health insurance living in the Austin area, must earn $53,080 at a minimum to make ends meet.

Additionally, Texas is now tied in last place with Mississippi for the highest percentage of minimum-wage workers and leads the nation for the number of people earning the federal minimum wage or less – a statistic that shouldn’t make us proud. Overall, Texas wages lag behind the national average, too. In 2010, the national median hourly earnings for salary and hourly-paid workers was $12.50. In Texas, that number was $11.20.

With one in seven Americans now receiving Snap benefits (food stamps) as the effects of the great recession continue to linger, this is why this food bank, and many of our sister food banks across the country, are serving more people than ever. The vast majority of the 48,000 central Texans this food bank serves every week are employed, hard-working men and women who are just not earning a living wage – a wage that would enable them to put food on their tables, build for their families’ future and participate in the American dream.

No one chooses to go hungry. Hunger is primarily the result of lack of income and the difficult economic choices more and more of our friends and neighbours have to make. That is no mirage; that is the cold, hard economic reality for all too many. We are still waiting for the Texas miracle to fulfil its promise.

You can help by joining the Food Bank during Hunger Action Month. Learn more on our website.

Federal

Congress remains on break until after Labor Day. Members continue to push for broadcast meetings of the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction, which will make decisions related to reducing the federal debt and cutting spending. Still at risk are federal nutrition programs, including TEFAP, the commodity program that provides 25% of Capital Area Food Bank’s inventory.

USDA recently reported an increase in farmers markets across the country. Texas came in second, with an increase statewide of 38 percent—a total of 166 markets. Only 14 of the 166 farmers markets statewide currently accept SNAP, six of them being in the Austin area. Nationwide participation in SNAP has grown for 32 consecutive months, since November 2008.

During Hunger Action Month, call your members of Congress and tell them to protect hunger programs. Get the talking points before you call. You may also fill an Advocacy postcard at our headquarters and we’ll send it to your Representative for you.

State

Many new Texas laws passed during the last session go into effect this week. Among those are a law allowing farmers to transport produce to markets by alternative, less expensive methods as well as a law allowing fishing for catfish with your hands, a.k.a., “noodling.”

One of our largest victories is the elimination of finger imaging for SNAP applications. For 14 years, Texas required SNAP recipients to be fingerprinted in the face of numerous studies indicating its inefficiency and wasteful use of the tax dollar.

Starting September 1, HHSC will have new policies and procedures in place to verify an applicant’s identity during telephone interviews and reduce the likelihood of “double-dipping” or fraud.

Thank you to our advocates for helping to make this victory possible.

Local

Last week, the Austin City Council postponed consideration of a Downtown Austin Plan. Among other items, the plan outlines a goal of creating 225 housing units downtown for low-income and homeless people, as well as additional housing units for people who make between $16,000-$63,000 a year.

September is Hunger Action Month and we have lots of great ways for you to get involved. We’ll be blogging about activities throughout the month, but this should help you get started. Make your reservations early so you don’t miss out on the fun.

1. Donate online. As special thank you, you’ll receive a FREE Digital Cookbook featuring 30 healthy, low-cost easy to make recipes selected by our CHOICES Nutrition Education Department featuring recipes from local food bloggers.
2. Advocate. When you visit the Food Bank this month for a tour or to volunteer, be sure to fill out an advocacy postcard. We’ll send it to your congressperson on your behalf. Postage is on us!
3. Volunteer. Boy, do we have volunteer opportunities for you this month. From getting a little dirty in the garden, to providing direct service to clients in need, we have lots of opportunities for volunteers of all ages.
4. Take a tour. Our doors are open and ready to welcome you for a behind-the-scenes look at the Food Bank. Learn how the many gifts of time and treasure enables the Food Bank to nourish 48,000 hungry Central Texans each week.
5. Support events around town. Community members have stepped up to hold special food & fund drives, and give special discounts on purchases all to raise food and funds for the Food Bank. From Austin Restaurant Week to checking out fancy sports cars at Cars & Coffee, there are lots of fun ways for you to shop, save and support the Food Bank

Special Event

Join us for a film screening and discussion of DIVE! at the Blanton Museum.

In partnership with the Blanton Museum, please join us for a FREE screening of the multi-award winning documentary DIVE!, a film that explores the paradox between wasted food and record-levels of hunger in America. Following the screening, our panel of local experts and the filmmaker will discuss the issues raised in the film and how Austinites can have an active role in solving this problem. You’ll also get to enjoy the museum for free after the event.
Our panel includes: Elizabeth Engelhardt, UT professor and author of Republic of Barbeque: Stories Beyond the Brisket; Hank Perret, Capital Area Food Bank President and CEO; Ronda Rutledge, City of Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board; and filmmaker Jeremy Seifert. Moderated by GivingCity Austin founding editor, Monica Williams.

Free tickets are available first-come-first-serve at the Blanton from 5 p.m. Thursday September 15.

Paid parking is available in the Brazos Garage on Brazos Street and MLK. Parking is $3, bring your ticket with you to the museum.

David Davenport
President and CEO

Thank you for being part of our community working to end hunger! Your contribution helped us do extraordinary things during Hunger Action Month.

Here’s a look at our accomplishments:

• We raised 1.2 million meals to help feed our hungry neighbors this month.
• We recently added a new Mobile Food Pantry site in Gause, TX. This area is one of the highest-need areas in Texas. More than 6,400 hungry Central Texans are nourished each month through our Mobile Food Pantry program.
• Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we met the Regal Matching Gift challenge in less than 24 hours, providing 40,800 nutritious meals for our hungry neighbors.

In the spirit of “Give a Little, Feed a Lot,” consider sending an e-Thanks to someone who has made a difference in your life.

Thank you, again, for helping us nourish our community.

 

 

Photo courtesy The Cheesecake Factory

How would you like a piece of Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake with moist layers of red velvet cake and cheesecake covered with a special Cheesecake Factory cream cheese frosting?  25¢ from the sale of each slice will be donated to Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. 

Sound too decadent? Well, there are more than 30 cheesecakes from which to choose (and, yes, there are healthy salads if you’re watching your weight).

On Sept. 30, and as part of Hunger Action Month, bring two cans of non-perishable food with you when you eat at the Cheesecake Factory and they’ll donate 10 percent of your bill to the Food Bank.

Treat yourself to a hunger-ending meal.