Pete Nebhut

 

 

 

 

By Ed Nicholson

We recently spent a week traveling through Iowa with the rolling circus that is RAGBRAI  (I still have lots left to talk about there; more later).   The bicycle ride features 15,000 registered riders and thousands more who come along for the ride. Practically every state in the union is represented.

One of the things we did as part of that effort is a brief survey among participants to assess what people know about hunger and hunger organizations. 

Questions 3 and 4 of the survey were specifically designed to gauge attitudes about how serious a problem people believed hunger to be in their own community. 

From the more than 1350 respondents, more than 81% answered that hunger was either a "moderate" "low priority," problem or  that there is "little or no hunger in my community." 

Only 19% believed hunger is either a critical or serious problem in their community. 

53% believed that the majority of people affected by hunger could do something about it if they made adjustments in their lifestyle. 

Is it possible our efforts to end hunger are being diluted because many believe it's either not a problem in their own communities, or is a problem of the victims' own making?

The Food Research and Action Center  (FRAC) has a very informative piece of research in Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger--Data for the Nation, States, 100 MSAs, and Every Congressional District.

Here in order are the metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) with the highest rates of food hardship in 2008-2009

1. Memphis; Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pennsylvania
4. Fresno, California
5. Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida
6. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California
7. Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama
8. New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, Louisiana
9. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada
10. Greensboro-High Point, North Carolina
11. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
12. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
13. Toledo, Ohio
13.  Winston-Salem, North Carolina
15. Charleston-N Charleston-Summerville, South Carolina
15. Columbia, South Carolina
15. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California
18. Little Rock-N Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas
19. Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, North Carolina, South Carolina
19. Jacksonville, Florida
21. Baton Rouge, Florida
21. Knoxville, Tennessee
21. Tulsa, Oklahoma
24. Columbus, Ohio
24. Indianapolis-Carmel, Indiana

 

Participants in the WeCanEndThis Cause Lab

By Ed Nicholson
On Monday, I had the privilege of sitting in on the first WeCanEndThis Cause Lab, a day-long think tank at the annual South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, focused on arriving at new solutions to the problem of hunger in the U.S.   Big vision guy, Scott Henderson conceived the event, and assembled it with with CauseShift partners Anne Bertelsen and Brian Reich, along with an all-star cast of non-profit and corporate partners (full-disclosure: Tyson Foods was a partner).

Altogether, the event drew a couple hundred participants throughout the day: a diverse bunch that included not only professional hunger fighters, but social good advocates from outside the cause, and socially-minded techsters.  A full overview of who, what and how can be found at WeCanEndThis.com so I won't go into detail here.  Go check it out; it was a very interesting day.

Here's why I think the event was a worthwhile investment of all of the participants' time and resources:

• If hunger is to be "solved,"  (and I think all of us in the game hold great hope that's something that can occur), it won't happen because one organization makes it happen.  And it won't happen if all of us keep a singleminded focus on our own  organizational objectives (as worthy as they might be).   It's going to take a collaborative effort among every single person and group now out there working on the cause.  It's going to take competitors working together.  That happened here,  with Share Our Strength and Feeding America coming to the table, as well as Tyson and ConAgra, and others in the  consulting, tech and social services sectors who might otherwise compete for resources or share of mind. I think a lot of smart people have come to that realization, and you're beginning to see more collaboration than ever before.
• The solution (or more likely, solutions) to hunger won't come solely from those currently leading the fight. It's going to take more people; intelligent, innovative people; people totally unencumbered by a "been there, done that, won't work" mindset.  It's going to take more and more people who, in studying the problem, arrive at the gut check that hunger is in every community, and in some way, affects every single one of us.  In this one place, on this one day, I hope there were some new converts, who will stay involved as WeCanEndThis embarks upon the rest of a year-long noble experiment.

 

By Andrea Sherwood

Does food insecurity impact peace and war or the choices children face? Share your thoughts. Let’s have a discussion as uncomfortable as it will be as we sip on our coffee, tea, soda or beverage of choice while we blog and “engage” from a distance.

After reading, Ishmael Beah’s, A Long Way: Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, my answers to the questions have not changed. They remain a definite “yes.” However, I now hold specific images in my mind as to how food insecurity impacts individuals, communities and the world. This book has forever changed me and the emotions that are stirred within as think about, discuss with others and engaged in solutions to the food crisis in the world and world peace.

Regardless, of how you answered the previous questions, I believe this is a must read book! Ishmael shares his journey as a young child becoming a soldier and then his journey of rehabilitation back into civilian life by age 18. Discover what food means to a boy solider. Learn about Ishmael’s amazing journey of rehabilitation and how he almost looses it all because of a quest for food. This is a book that is hard to put down, yet hard to keep reading because of the reality that unfolds before your eyes.  Let me know what you think.

by Ed Nicholson

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned AgChat, the excellent Twitter discussion about food production  that occurs every Tuesday evening from 8-10 Eastern.  Once a month, the group uses the hashtag #foodchat to broaden the discussion beyond agriculture. 

This week's #Foodchat topic will be Food Insecurity.  If you're involved in hunger relief, your perspective is critical to this discussion.

This is a great opportunity for hunger advocates to communicate with a diversity of those interested in how our food is produced.  Past participants have included farmers of all kinds (dairy, meat, vegetable, fiber, local/organic, larger farms), advocates, corporate types, and more.   Most of us have a dog in the hunt. That's what makes it interesting.  It's a moderated discussion, so respect of fellow participants is demanded. 

The best way to join the discussion is to sign in to your Twitter account via a Webchat tool such as Tweetchat or Twubs.  When you sign in, use the hashtag #foodchat.  (If you've never used one of these tools, it's easy and safe; just go to the link and sign in)

Hope to see you there.

 

By Ed Nicholson

A lot of people know the statistics about hunger.  They sincerely believe something should be done.
They know it in their heads. A lot of people know enough to talk about it.  But they're not doing anything about it.
They just need to know it from the neck down  to really be motivated to do something.
The people who know the most about how hunger are those who know it in their stomachs.  The people who have actually experienced it in their lifetime. I can't lay claim to this experience, but some of the most inspiring people I've ever met can.
Then there are those who know it in their hearts. They've been touched by what they've seen up close and personal.  All the statistics, even well-told poignant stories don't deliver this experience.
Finally there are those who know it in their feet.  They walk the talk.  They get out and do. Most often they're the quiet, unsung heroes we refer to as Hunger All-Stars.
The solution to end hunger needs people who think and talk.  But it more desperately needs people who feel and walk.  

How can we more effectively move knowledge of hunger from peoples' heads into their hearts?
 

Photo:  LollyKnit--Creative Commons

By Ed Nicholson

I was privileged to be at a meeting last week with some of the best, brightest and most passionate people in hunger relief: NGOs, government  folks and highly-engaged corporate types.   It was inspiring and energizing. 
In a Q&A session with NGOs (Feeding America, Share Our Strength, Meals on Wheels and FRAC), I related the story about how many of our managers were in denial of  hunger being a significant challenge in their own communities.  I asked them if there was statistically valid research indicating peoples' awareness of the issue. 
The general consensus was that research indicated people are aware of hunger and that everybody believes something should be done.    
OK. But here's where it falls short with me:  I still don't believe a critical mass of people understand just how close to home hunger hits with them. They don't understand that almost anywhere and everywhere, there are kids going to school with their kids who go to bed hungry at night.  They don't know that there are senior citizens who have to make choices between medicine and food.  If they knew, they'd care. And if they cared, they'd be motivated to action.  We've seen great evidence of this.  

It's not that people are uncaring.  It's just they don't know enough to care. 

And that's a big reason there's hunger in a land of abundance.

By Ed Nicholson

Oh, if you're reading this, I imagine you care.  But you're not "them." 
It's not that we're an uncaring nation.  Think about what happened after 9-11 or Katrina.  People gave blood and dollars.  Donated time and talent. 
Why did they care about these things?
I think it was because these events hit close to home. It was so easy to think, "There but for the grace of God..." with every graphic image.
When we're given a reason to care, we can pour it on.
Hunger hasn't hit close to home with enough people.   They think it's something that happens in other communities, to other people--people they don' t know.  We know that's not the case.
I'm told there's research that indicates people care about hunger.  I believe that.  It's not that people couldn't care less about hunger.
It's that they need to care more.  They  need to care differently.

Tomorrow:  What do you know?

 

By Ed Nicholson

Why does hunger exist in the most innovative, resourceful country in the world--especially among those least able to help themselves, our children and our elderly?

I think I have an idea.

People either don't know about hunger, or they don't care about it.  If they both cared and knew, we'd have had the problem solved a long time ago. 

Obviously, that's a simple answer to a complex question. 

I've already written a couple of posts elaborating on the matter, which I'll put up here next week.

Meanwhile, be thinking about it.

 Photo:  Brainware3000 Creative Commons

 

By Ed Nicholson

Ever heard that?  I have.
My group's "day job" is working with managers in the 100 U.S. communities where Tyson Foods has significant operations to engage them in activities in their communities.  A central component of our strategy is to get them involved in hunger relief efforts.
Way too often we hear the opinion expressed from our folks that hunger is not a significant challenge in their communities.  Way too often it's from people who are quite caring, connected and involved in their communities.  The problem is simply that they're not connected to hunger.  When we're able to involve them with groups who can open their eyes to the hunger in their hometowns, they invariably become enthusiastic hunger fighters. Once they're engaged, they're also much more open to donating.
This is happening in communities all across America.  We desperately need people in these communities on our side in crafting sustainable solutions to hunger in our country. 
My point:  Unless the hunger community can come up with better ways to connect stakeholders--and connect them locally--we're going to be swimming upstream with all of the well-constructed strategies, hard work, and resources that are currently being committed to ending hunger.  As an example, if a Congressman's constituents don't believe hunger is a significant problem in their own community, how are you going to get them to prioritize resources toward hunger relief when education, healthcare, and infrastructure (not to mention tax reduction) are all clamoring for those same resources?  Most in Congress, though they like to think globally, consistently vote locally.  
The problem is, we're so close to the issue, we don't understand how others can't perceive its gravity.  We believe describing the problem will connect people.  As long as people believe hunger is something that doesn't exist in their own community, all the rational description in the world won't work.
What tactics do you use to educate and engage stakeholders?