Heather Tallman’s Post

Standing united against the pressing issue of food insecurity at the Junior League of San Diego's Annual Impact Forum. This year, our mission is clear: Educate, Inspire, Act. With one in four San Diegans facing the challenge of food insecurity, the need for collective action is urgent. The Impact Forum served as a platform for a robust panel discussion and Q&A, featuring insights from esteemed experts, including Hayley Bratt, Amy Ellis, Javier Guerrero, Dr. Julie A. Elginer, Patty O'Connor, Naomi Young, and Christina Pascucci. Their expertise and dedication inspire us to delve deeper into the issues surrounding food insecurity. Our goal is threefold: to educate the community on the realities of food insecurity, to inspire new ideas and approaches, and most importantly, to catalyze meaningful action. Past Impact Forum outcomes, like JLSD’s Diaper Bank and Period Pantry, demonstrate the power of collective efforts. This year's focus is particularly crucial as the challenges intensify with inflation and rising costs. Join us in the mission to Educate, Inspire, Act. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those affected by food insecurity. 🌟 #JLSDImpactForum #EndFoodInsecurity #EducateInspireAct PATH Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank Coastal Roots Farm Feeding San Diego San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)

❗ Don't miss Daniel Wexler's workshop during the The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York's 4th annual Food Summit! 💡 Dan will be hosting an interactive session on Food As Medicine Interventions and #socialdeterminantsofhealth. The session goal is to illustrate how--in addition to income--other social determinants of health pose a barrier to food security; consider the diversity of #FoodisMedicine (FIM) treatment options; and understand the different types of benefits each solution offers, and what interventions might work best for different patients.

🌟 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐈𝐧𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝! 🌟 The Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity is putting together a database of food organizations in the state and wants as many as possible to be included. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦? Farmers, Grocers, Food banks and pantries, nonprofits, mutual aid, restaurants, food hubs, and any other company or organization that produces, provides, sells, or works with food! 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞 𝐔𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫? A database of food organizations in the state and a short survey of needs and priorities whose findings will be included in a report on food security in CT. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦? The Commission is hoping to use the form to provide several benefits to organizations after they complete it: 𝟏. 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: The data generated by section 3 of this form will be made available to everyone (email Christian.duborg@cga.ct.gov if you need data before it is published), and can be used for websites, grant applications, etc. 𝟐. 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: This database will be used as a mailing list to share important information (events, policy updates, grant opportunities, data, etc.) 3. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Once it is complete, the database will be available to all organizations who fill out the form, allowing you to connect with other organizations across the state. If you give permission in the form, you’ll also be included in the public-facing version so people can more easily find you! 𝟒. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬: The needs and priorities identified in section 3 will be featured in the Commission’s annual report on food security and will inform the Commission’s work on food and nutrition items in the state legislature. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞? Take 5-10 minutes to fill out the google form! ⤵ ⤵ https://lnkd.in/eAkz8xeh

Read latest article about the 6 contributing factors to food insecurity and 6 research-based solutions. #innovation #foodscarcity #foodinsecurity #solutions https://lnkd.in/eGp9ArjM

“I have always been independent… I was ashamed, embarrassed that I had got to the stage that I live like this and can’t even afford £5 of food - that I wasn’t really living, I was existing…. I’ve now realised that there are an awful lot of us.” These are the words of Eleanor (not her real name), one of the case studies presented in a new report revealing the true nature of food insecurity in Devon.  Eleanor told researchers she had invested savings in flats to fund her retirement and social care but these have now incurred large cladding-related costs and are unsaleable. Eleanor lives on a reduced pension but gets no government support. She explained that for the past two years she had had no heating, hasn’t used the oven for ages, and lives on £5 a week for food.  The Face of Food Insecurity in Devon: A Qualitative Study was co-authored by Devon Community Foundation’s Head of Impact, Insight and Learning, Nicola Frost. It illustrates how food insecurity has now become an endemic issue impacting a broad range of people. Food insecurity is defined as the condition of not having access to enough food, or food of sufficient quality, to meet one’s basic needs. The report describes the many and varied ways in which people in the county can become food insecure, demonstrating the need for different forms of community-based food support that are more responsive to the chronic nature of the challenge. This includes initiatives bringing people together to share a free meal or community projects to distribute surplus food as well as traditional food parcels.  The report was commissioned by Devon County Council's (DCC) Public Health team and managed by Devon Community Foundation. DCC asked us to conduct the in-depth research to discover what it feels like to be food insecure in Devon, how households in Devon make decisions about accessing food support, and how this differs for different groups of people. This research had a particular focus on families with multiple challenges, and those from ethnically diverse backgrounds. It also looked at what types of food support were available and explored the need for tailored responses in rural areas, where food insecurity can look and feel very different.  Key findings in the report include:  ‣ The “profile” of those experiencing food insecurity has broadened significantly in the last few years. Many of those experiencing food insecurity now are doing so for the first time.   ‣ There has been an increase in the number of working people experiencing food insecurity.   ‣ Food security is becoming an endemic problem, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis, especially the rise in housing costs. In many cases it is not obvious how a household will be able to escape food insecurity.  Follow the link to read the report in full and to find out more about Devon Community Foundation’s work on food insecurity. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEaxy2_F

We are thrilled and humbled to be listed alongside 11 other incredible nonprofits as a Food Justice Funding Initiative awardee from The Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The Food Justice Funding Initiative is a multi-year initiative, designed to advance food justice by ensuring access to healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods without barriers. Funded projects reflect community-led strategies to address food insecurity and support Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian Pacific Islanders, and people of color (BIPOC) leaders in creating equitable change to local food systems. FFEN's funding will help to support our goal to advance a culture in hunger relief centered on shopper (food shelf client) priorities. We will focus on creating avenues for individuals accessing food shelf services to have more input, influence, and voice in food shelf sourcing and programming decisions to increase food access and fresh food availability, while simultaneously improving the food shelf shopper experience and overall organizational health. Learn more about all of the critical work funded by the Food Justice Funding Initiative at: https://lnkd.in/g-_8ENc8

Today is #GivingTuesday. Every home deserves enough food to eat – before, during and after the holiday season. Food is what we call a social determinant of health, an outside factor like housing and education that ultimately affect health outcomes. Food access is foundational to community health, and nutritious meals are a key factor in advancing public health and achieving health equity.   One in three Massachusetts residents – 1.8 million people – are facing food insecurity, according to The Greater Boston Food Bank. Hunger is even more prevalent among households of color, affecting 61% of Hispanic households, 50% of Black households, and 45% of LGBTQ+ households. These disparities are further compounded among households with children, as over half of Hispanic and LGBTQ+ households face child-level food insecurity.   Food access and equity is nothing short of a public health emergency, exacerbated by factors like soaring grocery prices, a housing affordability crisis, and systemic barriers to economic stability that disproportionately affect communities of color. This perfect storm makes it all the more difficult for our most historically disadvantaged neighbors to put food on the table.   Through its Mobile Market program, GBFB distributes fresh, nutritious produce and/or shelf-stable items to several community health centers across Eastern Massachusetts, bringing hunger relief to patients of Community Health Centers that keep our communities healthy. Health centers that work with GBFB include Bedford Veterans, Charles River Community Health, Framingham Health Center, Lawrence Family Health Center, Lynn Community Health Center, CHA Revere, SSTAR (Fall River), and New Bedford Community Health Center.   For Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll take a moment to learn about the pervasive issue of food insecurity and act to support organizations delivering essential hunger relief to advance health equity. Find a list of organizations in Massachusetts compiled by the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative below. Have a favorite organization not listed here? Please add it to the comments.   Massachusetts Food System Collaborative | Supporting collective action toward an equitable, sustainable, resilient, and connected local food system in Massachusetts. (mafoodsystem.org) #HealthEquity #CommunityHealth #HealthResearch #GivingTuesday2023

This week’s spotlight shines a light on some of VFR’s hub-and-spoke partners: South Vancouver Neighbourhood House (SVNH) Food Hub, Heart Tattoo Society, DTES Distribution Hub, and CityReach Care Society.   The hub-and-spoke model provides a means of food distribution that relies on a central location (the hub where the food is organized) and several spoke locations that are sites for food distribution to clients in the neighbourhood.   VFR’s volunteers help with the delivery of food from the hub to peripheral spoke locations, which supports nonprofit partners and helps to increase food access across the city.   Here’s a sneak peek outling how VFR’s volunteers support the South Vancouver Community Food Hub:   “VFR Food Rescue Heroes who support our program – huge shout-out to regular volunteers like Doug, Anna, and Kulwant! – are so crucial to helping us ensure that food reaches neighbours who need it the most.   By supporting the transportation side of our hub-and-spoke model, you are allowing SVNH and our partners to be more efficient, save money (as it reduces the need for trucks and drivers), and have more time to connect people to services beyond food, like employment programs, childcare and government benefits.   Most importantly, you are helping community members access food, connection, and resources closer to home.   This gives people more breathing room, which is huge when they are experiencing multiple barriers, and frees them up to spend more time with their loved ones, get back on their own feet, and give back to the community.” Click the link to read the full article!

Great to see an article on the importance of culturally relevant food! https://lnkd.in/g5QmeiM7 We recognize how vital culturally relevant foods are and prioritize getting the right foods to the right communities. We do this in a number of ways, including diversifying our food streams, from growers, to food donor partners, to purchases we make, and by investing in community-led hunger solutions. We continue to listen and learn from our clients and agency partners to understand which foods are most desired. We believe everyone deserves food that enables them not just to survive, but to fully thrive.