Tony and Dolly Ellis

By Ed Nicholson

I'm continually impressed by the way the folks at Capital Area Food Bank of Texas communicate the issue of hunger.  E.D., David Davenport, along with Lisa Goddard, Kerri Qunell and the rest of the communications team are not just good adminstrators, fundraisers and communicators--they're passionate about and authentically committed to the issue, and understand that in order for there to be sustainable progress in the fight against hunger, there will need to be informed and engaged stakeholders.

Their latest online project, Hunger is UNacceptable, does a tremendous job of putting a face on hunger. It's hard-hitting, while remaining respectful of its subjects.  Compelling without being pitiful.  Great production with a ton of room to grow the concept.  It provides the opportunity to act, either by advocating, donating or volunteering, without coming across an unabashed vehicle created to promote that action. 

To use a popular phrase, it adds value.  Good job, folks.

By Ed Nicholson

 

Austin athletes unload a truckload of food to agencies of CAFB

One of the most fulfilling things about being involved in hunger relief is the opportunity to work with some fantastic partners.  We've talked a lot about our friends at  Share Our Strength and Feeding America. 
But one group that doesn't get mentioned as much is Lift Up America.  Founded in 2004, by the visionary Dave Hannah and other business leaders, Lift Up America is a coalition of influential business and sports leaders, brought together by a common goal of addressing some of society's most pressing challenges. 
In 2005, Tyson Foods began our partnership with them with food donations in cooperation with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins.
Each year since then, a growing number of professional and college athletic teams have lent their support and their players' time to events in which food is donated to their local communities, but more important, awareness for the issue of hunger is elevated.  Last year, we did donations in fourteen cities across the country.
The people who comprise Lift Up America have solved some tremendous business challenges.  Very successfully. They've competed at the highest levels on the field and off.  It's a tribute to them that they are now applying their strategic skills to challenges our world faces.  
Last week, I had the privelege of being in Austin, joining a burgeoning local chapter of Lift Up America, led by highly-successful businessman, Michael Cress, in making a donation to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (another fabulous partner). We were joined at Southpark Meadows, who generously supplied the venue,  by members of the Austin Toros and the Austin Aztex, along with notable athletes, such as former UT football standout Will Matthews and KC Chiefs linebacker, Derrick Johnson. 
CAFB CEO, David Davenport said it well.  "Addressing hunger is a community challenge."
Thanks to Lift Up America for bringing the Austin community together for this event. 

 More photos of this event can be seen here. 

By Ed Nicholson

One of our goals with this site is to be a positive force in helping bring the discussion of hunger online, creating awareness for the issue and those instrumental in the fight against hunger.
When we came to the issue nine years ago, we found a lively discussion already occurring among a passionate community of those involved in hunger relief.  
We believe there's still enormous upside potential to bring that discussion online via social networking tools, and to expand the community of decidated hunger fighters well beyond where it is today.
Fortunately, there are some hunger relief communicators blazing the trail. They're using the tools, and most importantly, they're engaging in two-way conversations, not simply broadcasting their messages.   If you're involved in the issue, these are people and groups you'll probably want to follow, if you aren't already.

Share Our Strength
Billy Shore, Founder and CEO of Share Our Strength, has always been a tremendous communicator.  Share Our Strength now has Jeff Wiedner doing an exemplary job of heading up online communications, using all of the  popular social networking tools, including a Twitter account   Facebook cause pages,   LinkedIn,  a very nicely-done YouTube channel, and a Flickr account.   In addition to Jeff, who runs the organization's Twitter account  Billy Shore, Eric Herboso, and Suzy Twohig also have Twitter accounts.

Feeding America
Feeding America has a very well-produced YouTube channel, a quickly-growing Twitter account and active Facebook  and MySpace  pages.  Feeding America's existing large and active community, enhanced by strong corporate support ensures that pretty much any tool the organization adopts will rapidly gain an active following.

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas (Austin)
This organization was early to the game and remains a leader in their use of social media.  In addition to authoring for their blog, CEO, David Davenport; VP of Communications Kerri Qunell; Advocacy and Online Marketing Director, Lisa Goddard, and several others from the food bank engage regularly with stakeholders through a number of different channels, including Twitter and Facebook accounts.   YouTube, Facebook page, Flickr.   Definitely some best practices here.

Food Bank for New York City
A relatively new blog shows bright promise as the centerpiece of this leading food bank's social media efforts (they're showing true social media savvy by asking readers to help name their blog )  Additionally the food bank has a Facebook cause page, as well as a YouTube Channel and Twitter Account  Online Communications Manager Daniel Buckley does a good job of coordinating social media efforts and using the tools to engage.

North Texas Food Bank (Dallas)
Another great example of a Feeding America food bank using a variety of social networking tools, including a blog,  a Facebook page, a  MySpace page and a YouTube channel.   Mark Armstrong manages the food bank's Twitter account.

Texas Food Bank Network
A coalition of Feeding America food banks in Texas, this organization runs an advocacy blog , as well as  a Twitter account . 

Community Cooperative Ministeries Incorporated
This Fort Myers, Florida agency is doing a great job of creating hyperlocal awareness, focused on challenges of hunger and poverty in their area. They have a Twitter account and are using new media tools, including  Pitch Engine's social media news release service to create awareness of  their activities, as well as using vimeo to post online video. Their CEO, Sarah Owen (who guest-posted here last week), is also a Twitterer.  Take a look at their campaign designed to raise awareness of kids at risk of hunger over the weekends.

No doubt there are many other great social media efforts occuring among hunger organizations around the country. Let me know what's going on in your community, and we'll feature it here.  The goal is to connect.

We've been focusing this space during the last few Fridays on talking about kids who depend on school lunch programs for their primary nutrition. Many of these children are in dire risk of going hungry from Friday lunch until Monday. 

This week, we've been recruited to be part of an exciting effort, focused on South by Southwest, the Pledge to End Hunger, which benefits our great friends Share Our Strength, as well as four Feeding America food banks.

One of those food banks, with which we've had the distinct honor of working closely in the past year is the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. There's an excellent little piece about one of their childhood feeding programs, Kids Cafe, at the Pledge to End Hunger site.

Each Friday, hundreds of thousands of kids across America eat their last good meal until Monday.  But thanks to programs like these at the CAFB, those numbers are being reduced.

Go sign the Pledge to End Hunger. It's a great cause. And while you're online, go follow CAFBers, David Davenport, Lisa Goddard, Kerri Qunell and all these guys here on Twitter.

by Ed Nicholson

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Austin on Monday for the Tyson portion of the HAM-up Tweetup.  What an inspiring community, full of energetic, passionate folks. Big thanks to all of the friends we made at Social Media Club Austin and 501 Tech Club Austin.  It was a sincere pleasure meeting Mike Chapman, but we particularly want to thank David Neff of the American Cancer Society, who brought us to the event--be sure and visit his online space, a great example of social media put to good work.  Thanks to the staff of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, particularly Lisa Goddard and Kerri Qunell.  The video above is an interview with the President and CEO of the food bank, David Davenport.  (I stuck him out in the bright sunlight, so blame the producer for that...but what he said was great) I can tell you, the house really is rockin' down in Austin.

For those of you in Austin, there are some exciting activities planned for the HAM-up this week, so don't miss your opportunity to see a world class food bank in action. 

Our friends at the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, and their partners Social Media Club Austin and 501Tech Club have finalized details on events for the great HAMup Tweetup.   You can get full details at http://www.austinfoodbank.org/HAM-up/ ,but briefly, here's how it will happen.

Thursday, September 11, there will be a kickoff at Whole Foods Market at 525 Lamar at 5:30, featuring food and live music.  

Saturday, Septmber 13,  events at the food bank will include a product recovery volunteer effort, a "drive through" food drive, and tours of the warehouse.  Go get an inside view of how this great food bank works to alleviate  hunger in the central Texas area.

On Monday, September 8, Tyson will be delivering the truckload of food that YOU made happen through your comments to this post.   Stay tuned for more information about how the 250 comments we got in addition to the needed 350 for the truckload, are going to make an added difference. 

Details about the HAMup here.

Ed Nicholson

We've now received more than 630 comments to our blog entry this morning about hunger in Austin and the work of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.

This was just phenomenal, with the 350 comments needed to fill the truck coming in less than six hours.  A big THANK YOU to everyone who made this happen:  Everyone who commented, and especially all who ReTweeted the original Twitter messages. This was really the power of social media put to work effectively. We're humbled, amazed and awed at the community that made this occur. 

Based on the responses we received, we will  be doing more with the Food Bank and--if they want--with Social Media Club Austin and 501 Tech Club of Austin.   Stay tuned. Meanwhile, if you're in the Austin area (and you guys are truly awesome)  please support the HAM-up Tweet-up to benefit CAFB. 

There were a lot of great comments made, and some very interesting questions raised, and some good suggestions that should provide more opportunity for discussion here.

We invite you to continue to be part of the discussion on hunger by subscribing to this site, that of the CAFB, or any of the other links you might see here.

Information from the website of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas

Did you know

• Nearly one in five adults and one in four children in Texas are hungry.
• 41,000 children under the age of 18 in Travis County are confronted with food insecurity every day.
• 82% of Food Bank Partner Agency recipients are food insecure. 49% of recipients experience outright hunger. (Source: Hunger in America 2006: Central Texas Report, in association with America's Second Harvest)
• 61% of Austin Independent School District (AISD) students are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Making Ends Meet  

• 76% of households receiving assistance from CAFB Partner Agencies report incomes below the federal poverty level. (Source: Hunger in America 2006: Central Texas Report, in association with America's Second Harvest)
• 106,930 (12.6%) of Travis County individuals live below the Federal poverty level ($18,850 for a family of four). (Source: Austin Community Survey, 2004)
• The annual income needed for a Travis County family of four without employee sponsored health insurance to "afford" to live in the Austin area is $53,080. That's 257% above the Federal poverty level. (Source: CPPP.org, The Family Budget Estimator Project)
• Austin continues to have the highest cost of living in the state of Texas, exceeding housing costs in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Fort Worth.
  Those Served are Younger
• While the child poverty rate in Texas is 23.2%, for the CAFB service area, 35% of the household members receiving food are children. (Source: Hunger in America 2006: Central Texas Report, in association with America's Second Harvest)
• While 12.4% of Texans in poverty are elderly, only 7% of households receiving food through CAFB are elderly. (Source: Hunger in America 2006: Central Texas Report, in association with America's Second Harvest

Working Poor

• Approximately 200,000, or 20%, of Travis County residents are classified as "working poor" by the Texas Department of Human Services.  (Source: Basic Needs Coalition, 2005)
• Between 2000 and 2003, the number of households in Travis County increased by 23,274, the majority of which (21,822 households) fell in the lowest three income brackets having an annual income of $24,999 or less.
  Who's Serving Our Hungry?
• Of Food Bank Partner Agencies, 71% of pantries and 37% of the soup kitchens are run by faith-based agencies.
• 59% of Partner Agency pantries and 12% of soup kitchens are entirely volunteer run with no paid staff.
• CAFB is by far the most important source of food for its Partner Agencies, accounting for 76% of food for pantries and 38% for soup kitchens.
  (Source: Hunger in America 2006: Central Texas Report, in association with America's Second Harvest)

No matter where you are, the statistics about hunger in your own community are just as compelling.

Find out how you can be a part of the great work of the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas and their mission of ending hunger in central Texas by visiting their site.  

Here's something you can do today:  For every comment this post receives indicating it has been read, Tyson Foods will donate 100 pounds of food (up to a 35K pound truckload) to the HAM-up (Tweetup), sponsored by the Food Bank, Social Media Club Austin and 501 Tech Club Austin.  Help us fill the truck.  Comment here (even one-word comments acceptable--BTW, since our comments are moderated, it might take a bit to get them up, but I WILL get them up).

 UPDATE--The response from the online community has been awesome. From your response, we were able to fill the truck in less than six hours.  THANKS!!!!

 

Courtesy of Capital Area Food Bank of Texas "Hunger is Unacceptable" Campaign

Ed Nicholson

I've previously mentioned two online spaces that do a marvelous job of giving residents in their communities an accurate and compelling image of the face of hunger:  Food for Thought and Invisible--the frontlines of hunger in Colorado.

This week, I was made aware of the online community-building being done by the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas in Austin.  Extraordinary work.  Lisa Goddard, advocacy and online marketing manager, is the architect of the food bank's online outreach, which supplements a very well-designed website with a wide variety of social media tools, the center of which is the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas Weblog .  

The blog, up since June, was originally launched provide an account of food bank CEO and President David Davenport's experiences with the Food Stamp Challenge.  It does a superb job of just that, with compelling insight from David, brought to life with helpful links and embedded YouTube and Google video. But Lisa has now taken it much further. 

David's blogging generated the phrase around which the food bank's latest effort was built,  an incredibly-creative Flickr-focused campaign called "Hunger is Unacceptable."  People are encouraged to upload their photos containing the message "Hunger is Unacceptable" to a Flickr group, where the photos are aggregated online.  It gets visitors actively engaged, allows them to make a personal statement about hunger, and provides a reason to re-visit the site.    You'll need to visit the site to see how they've made participation easy.

In addition to their blog and Flickr account, the food bank is using all of the most popular social media tools to build community, including a Facebook group and a LinkedIn organizational profile

In the ultimate social media activity, the food bank is working with the extremely active social media community in Austin, including Social Media Club Austin     and 501 Tech Club  on a HAM-up (Tweetup), mobilizing the well-connected community to a food drive via Twitter. Thanks to the outreach of  David Neff,  director of web and interactive strategy for the American Cancer Society, and highly connected and kinetic Ausitinite, Tyson Foods will be supporting this event in a unique way. 

Stay tuned here next week for more details early next week.  You  have a potential role in this. These guys in Austin have it going on,   having recently organized a highly successful blood drive Tweetup.

We'll be using this space to talk more about hunger in Austin, and specifically about the good work of the food bank.

Until then, go see what Capital Area Food Bank of Texas is doing.  It's definitely the most effective use of social media community building I've seen among hunger relief organizations. 

If you're aware of other online hunger relief efforts, let me know and we'll do our best to create awareness of them.