Tony and Dolly Ellis

 

High School Students in Las Vegas Fighting Hunger for Three Square Food Bank

By Ed Nicholson

Take a look around food banks, food pantries and hunger relief organizations, and you'll see some phenomenal volunteers; engaged, dedicated, selfless, energetic, intelligent, passionate. 

Problem is, a whole lot of these volunteers are, shall we say, of "a certain age." (And I can use the categorization because I'm every bit of "a certain age" myself).  Not as many younger folks. 

So what's going to happen when those in our generation retire from volunteering? 

For the past three years, at Tyson Foods, we've been piloting The Student Food Drive with selected Feeding America food banks across the country.  This effort engages high school students in raising funds and food for their local food bank. It requires a coordinated effort among schools, food banks, and local sponsors, but done right, the results are phenomenal:  Students become aware of hunger in their own community, while developing leadership skills.  If the food bank makes the effective connections, they have stakeholders for life. 

In 2009, these food banks/ communities are joining others who have come on board to do Student Food Drives in the past three years:

Southeast Missouri Food Bank   Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Lowcountry Food Bank     Charleston, South Carolina
Mountaineer Food Bank    Gassaway, West Virginia
Channel One Food Bank    Rochester, Minnesota
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana     Muncie, Indiana
Three Square Food Bank       Las Vegas, Nevada

So what are you doing in your community to "rejuvenate" the pool of enaged hunger fighters?

 

Tony and Dolly Ellis

Tyson started working in hunger relief in 2000.  We were pretty proud of ourselves when we first got into fight against hunger.  After all, we were donating several million pounds of much-needed protein a year to hunger relief.  

But it didn't take long for us to get humbled. 

First off, our donations, as large as they were, didn't begin to make a dent in the enormous need that exists.

And when we started working around people who were involved in hunger relief, we started hearing some phenomenal stories of self-sacrifice and determination about people on the front lines of hunger.  We donate a small portion of our production to hunger.  We were meeting people who were devoting large portions of their lives, often their own resources to feed those in need.

That's why we created the Hunger All-Stars program.  You can go here and nominate any person or group of people you believe might be doing a good job in the fight against hunger in your community.  We'll put their nomination online.  You can see the nominations here.  Once a month, we'll pick a Hunger All-Star of the Month and donate a truckload of food in their honor to their local Feeding America food bank. 

This month, Tony and Dolly Ellis from New Orleans were selected as Hunger All-Stars of the month.  Read their inspiring story here. Last week Tyson donated a truckload of food in their honor to theSecond Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans.

Do you know a hard-working hunger fighter.  Nominate them here.

 

By Ed Nicholson

At Tyson Foods, we’re frequently asked why so many of our in-kind donations go to Feeding America food banks.  After all, there any number of very worthy recipients of our products, at both the local and national levels, who could channel everything we donate to people in need.

Here are some of the reasons we choose to support Feeding America with our in-kind donations:

The Feeding America network of food banks covers every county in the United States.  It is a well-designed, well-run food distribution network, that specifically addresses the needs of the 34 million people in the U.S. at risk of hunger.

Each food bank has a robust network of agencies who can guarantee the food is distributed fairly. Agencies are required to submit evidence that the food they receive goes specifically to hunger relief programs, feeding people who really need it without discriminating requirements.  

Food safety is at the forefront.  Feeding America has a food safety certification program to ensure each food bank is handling and distributing the food properly.  In turn, the food banks ensure their distributing agencies also place a high value on food safety. This is especially important in a world where food safety is everyone’s responsibility, from farm to fork. 

The food will not end up back on the market; no matter what.  When we donate products, we want to make certain they don’t end up back in commerce, competing with our products in retail stores. Believe it or not, this has occurred.  This is important to the retail stores to whom we sell.  Us, too.

Feeding America, through their national organization, encourages thought leadership and best practices among its member food banks.  Examples: Backpack programs, which send food home on the weekend with kids at-risk of hunger.  A Washington, D.C.-based office of hunger experts who advocate on The Hill for legislation that addresses hunger in the U.S.

Feeding America has the support of national sponsors, who are committed to the sustainability of the network. 

We’re often approached for donations by individual agencies at the local level. We subsequently encourage them to become members of the Feeding America food bank serving their area, ensuring them sustainable access to a consistent supply of quality food.
 

 

 

 

By Ed Nicholson

At Tyson, we get frequent requests for food donations from organizations claiming to be "food banks." Upon further query it often turns out that many of the groups--as worthy as their efforts are--are not food banks. There exists some confusion over the use of the term that needs to be cleared up.
A food bank is a non-profit organization that warehouses and distributes food to a network of local agencies, who in turn distribute to individuals in need.
Food banks receive food and other resources from a number of different sources, including food producers, grocery stores, individual donors and organizational food drives. Many food banks are also official distributors for USDA and FEMA government emergency food programs.
Food banks typically have a network of non-profit organizations to which they distribute, which can include food pantries, feeding sites, and shelters. Quite often, this is where the confusion arises. Food pantries are not "food banks" (even though some food banks operate food pantries and mobile food distribution systems).
The agencies are where the rubber meets the road. They distribute the food to families and individuals in need.
Tyson Foods is a proud supporter of the Feeding America Network, which includes more than 200 member food banks, serves every county in the U.S., and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food relief each year.  95% of the food Tyson donates goes to Feeding America food banks. There are some very compelling, specific reasons our company chooses to partner with Feeding America. I'll get into those in a later post.
The U.S., due in large part to the effectiveness of the Feeding America and its network of food banks has the most efficient emergency food distribution system in the world.
 

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.

 It's Friday, the time we devote to reminding you of childhood hunger, and the many children who depend on weekday free lunches for their nourishment.  Daniel Buckley from Feeding America member the Food Bank for New York City, sent this account of the great work their food bank is doing in addressing the challenges faced by kids who might otherwise go hungry on the weekends.

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In 2007, the Food Bank For New York City took Feeding America’s model BackPack Program and made one simple but very significant modification. They took the national program – which provides children with bags of healthy food to take home – and merged it with the concept of a choice-style food pantry, calling it the Open Market BackPack Program.

Children accessing the Food Bank’s programs are able to fill their bags themselves, picking items from a selection of fresh produce and nutritious food. This activity helps children understand what goes into a healthy meal, while nurturing feelings of competency and self-sufficiency. Here is just one touching story of a child on whom this program made a great impression.

Told by a staff member of a domestic violence shelter that is a member of the Food Bank For New York City’s food assistance program network.

"John was a domestic violence shelter guest.  John, along with his mother and younger brother, were victims of mental, emotional and physical abuse. Fortunately, they found the courage to leave and come here.

"Before they came here, John had to leave his school and his mother had to leave her job because of the abuse, and money was scarce. John's mother has had a real hard time trying to make her money stretch so that the kids can have enough to eat. She's told me that our Open Market BackPack Program has been a real lifesaver for her children — it feels so great that our services can make such a difference. Being able to shop for themselves makes the kids feel responsible. John's a real sweet kid. It's obvious he feels that he's helping his family and feels real good about it.

"John's mother said that he never wants to miss an opportunity to participate in the program. She always makes a point to show how thankful and appreciative she is by returning the tote bags neatly folded so they can be used again."

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Be sure to check out the brand new Food Bank for New York City Blog.  As you've just seen, they have some compelling stories to tell.

120 Feeding America food banks have backpack programs to help kids like John.  You can help by donating food, funds or time to your local food bank. 

 

A Tyson/LULAC donation in San Antonio

By Ed Nicholson     

For the next few days, northwest Arkansas will be hosting the national board of directors of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for their quarterly meeting.  They'll spend some of their time at Tyson headquarters tomorrow, part  of which will be devoted to a truckload food donation to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.

Tyson and LULAC have had a partnership with Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest) for two years, in which food donations are made to Feeding America food banks that serve Hispanic communities. 

For many people, their idea of "food bank" is where a hungry person goes to get a meal.  Those in hunger relief know that's not how the system works.  True food banks typically serve as distribution warehouses for a network that more than often includes hundreds of agencies--food pantries, feeding operations, child and senior care facilities--that in turn work on the ground to meet the needs of those at risk of hunger.

One of the goals of the partnership is to allow local LULAC councils to become catalysts in creating relationships between agencies serving those at risk of hunger in local communities and the Feeding America food banks.  Most of the time the LULAC councils are closely connected with agencies serving Hispanic communities. However--for a variety of reasons--many of these agenices aren't yet aware of the great potential in a relationship with their local food bank.

Tomorrow morning, the LULAC national leadership will join Tyson senior managers in making a joint donation of a truckload of food to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank. In turn a part of that donation will be specifically targeted to agencies that serve Hispanic communities in northwest Arkansas.  The local LULAC council, which is already helping introduce agencies to the food bank, will be on hand as a critical part of that donation.

We believe this is another example of how groups working together can make the emergency food distribution system stronger, to serve those who are truly in need.

 

By Ed Nicholson                                                                           photo by eyeliam--Creative Commons

A colleague of mine came into the office last year with a compelling story.  Her eight year-old grandson frequently spent time with her on weekends. Often he was accompanied by a good friend: a normal looking kid; clean, well-dressed, well-mannered.. The friend had a voracious appetite, eating just about everything in his path.  When my colleague made a lighthearted comment about how much he could pack away, he said, “We don’t eat much at my house on the weekend.”   Turns out, life was pretty tough for this kid.  His single dad was making some choices that didn’t exactly put nutrition at the top of the priority list for his family.

Unfortunately, this kind of story is way too common in our land of plenty.

It’s Friday afternoon here in the Ozarks.  Along about the time this posts, school kids around the country will be eating lunch.  For some of them, it will be the last good meal they’ll have until Monday.  If  I’m reading the charts correctly, over 15 million kids participate in the free school lunch program.  For a lot of these kids, the school lunch program is their lifeline; there just aren’t three squares on the weekends and holidays. 

So tomorrow night, if you’re eating a nice Valentine’s Day dinner, think about the kid that’s not.

For the next few Fridays, we’re devoting this space and some of our social media capital to reminding the world of the kids who don’t eat on the weekends.  We know there are lots of stories about these kids out there.  If  you have one  and would like to tell it here, leave us a comment, and we’ll get with you.  You can guest post, or just let us tell it.

Meanwhile, there are lots of ways you can help.  Go to the Share Our Strength or Feeding America web sites.  Or go visit your local food bank. 

No kid should dread the weekend.

Thanks to all who commented on this entry about hunger in New York City and the work of the Food Bank for New York City . We now have more than 350 blog comments, meaning a truckload (approximately 35,000 lbs.)  of Tyson products will be delivered to the food bank sometime in the next couple of weeks. 

Meanwhile, please stay involved in the fight against hunger. New Yorkers can find out more by contacting the Food Bank for New York City.  If you're somewhere else,  Feeding America has a handy food bank finder tool on its site that will connect you with one of its 200 member food banks across the U.S.

Thanks again.  It's your engagement that makes this kind of effort possible.  And it will be your passion and compassion that make it possible for us to consider a day when the fight against hunger will be won.

by Andrea Sherwood

Tyson Foods, Inc. donated 36,000 lbs of protein to Harvest Texarkana Food Bank on December 11, 2008. As part of that day, Carolyn Box, Hope Complex HR Manager, Donna Duggan, Grannis & Broken Bow Complex HR Manager and I toured the food bank. We learned about local agencies, programs, and the food bank’s wish list. I am always amazed with each food bank tour the amazing business each food bank operates and the impact they have on each of our communities. It was an eye-opening day for each of us.
How far away are the vast majority of Americans from needing assistance from a Feeding America Agency? Listen to Michelle Harutunian, Executive Director, Harvest Texarkana to find out and hear two other stories of hunger in America!
What stories do you have of Hunger in America?