North Texas Food Bank’s Post

For most, it's the berry season. For musician me, it's pie season. This summer marks the eighth year of my Pie & Persistence house concert series, which has raised over $85k for more than 30 non-profits from Seattle to Ukraine. And yes, there was a lot of pie. You can learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gF8Eyfuy In the semi post-Covid world, these typically happen during the summer. I'm a little stunned by how they've evolved from the early days of tip jars and collecting checks/cash for different organizations. This year, hosts have worked with individual organizations to create digital donation pages, which I think is pretty cool. Although this Friday's P + P for the Ballard Food Bank hosted by Jennifer Lamson and Ric Ilgenfritz is sold out, you can still support access to nutritious foods and services for 10,000+ households a month, keeping in mind that food is just the first step in their work of addressing the underlying issues their clients face. We can't address systemic challenges around hunger and food scarcity without building a strong network of community resources and services that are innovative, equitable and just. Access to healthy food is a right, not a privilege. Learn more and donate here: https://shorturl.at/6OMIP #pieforthepeople

🌟 Exciting News as We Approach the 33rd Annual Fifth Third Day!🌟 This May 3rd (5/3), join us in celebrating a special day dedicated to community and compassion. Each year, Fifth Third Day symbolizes our commitment to tackle the pressing issue of food insecurity, one community at a time. 📈 In today's challenging times, food pantries are experiencing the same budgetary pressures that affect us all. With grocery costs having risen by 24.7% since March 2020 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), and less overstock available for donation, food banks are finding it increasingly difficult to support those in need. But there's hope! * On Fifth Third Day, and throughout May, our collective actions will make a tangible difference. Your involvement will help us provide millions of meals across our 11-state footprint, extending even to California and Texas. Let's come together to make a significant impact! Share this post, spread the word, and let's fight food insecurity together! #FifthThirdDay #CommunitySupport #FightFoodInsecurity #MakeADifference #FifthThirdBank #communities #53Day #53better

I recently visited a local food bank. It is a food bank that picks up produce at a local grocery store. They used to pickup meats near expiration too. They have freezers and as an under-supplied, overburdened food bank, the need is definitely present. In the last six months the same grocery store stopped discounting meats to 50% and started only discounting them to 30%. I know for a fact this has led to greater discard of expired meat. They no longer allow the food bank to pick up near expiration meats. People who wouldn’t be able to afford those foods in the first place, imaginary profits and losses that never existed are their “reasoning” for throwing food away instead. People in need are not the enemy. People in need aren’t hoarding their money greedily and eagerly waiting at the donation doors. The (potential) merger of Albertsons and Fred Meyer terrifies me. They’re already coordinating their sales to justify “see we’re competing with each other and will keep doing so if you let us merge” What all shoppers have realized? Their prices were heavily inflated since first word of this merger to allow “sales” that don’t lose them a penny. Grocery prices are already unattainable for many and only worsening.

True nonprofit growth or expansion happens when we acknowledge food as a human right for all, delivered in the way people define DIGNITY for themselves. 🍽️ A government leader asked if I wanted to expand across Pennsylvania or the nation. I replied, "Our program adapts to the needs of the people. We will never force a community to conform to our program. So, how do you define expand?" Expanding is a delicate issue when fighting hunger. We cannot treat hunger as a business or a platform for our egos. Often, the reality of hunger is misunderstood—it's secretive, heavy, dark, frightening, and political. Hunger is used as tool of power over people in ways most of us will never comprehend, nor dare to explore. It's easy to create solutions for the sake of recognition, accolades, awards, and funding. The real challenge is being a witness to hunger. This requires us to stop and listen with a full heart. It requires hard conversations and the humility to say, "I have it wrong." 🍽️ Food is personal. 🔒 Food is safety. ❤️ Food is love. 💪 Food is empowerment. 🕊️ Food is freedom. #FoodDignity #FoodDignityMovement

Knowing your customer is key to the success of any business but also of any non profit. In a time when food security is a hot topic I think it's incredibly important to know who ( and who is not) our customers are so we can serve them well! We are a non profit grocery store designed to meet the needs of families / single moms who are struggling with a short term financial challenge. Till now these folks have been falling through the cracks because they can't afford a retail grocery store and they do not want the hand out via an emergency food service. Don't get me wrong, emergency food handouts are very needed in our communities, however not everyone wants to go that route nor should that be the only option! When a crisis hits many parents desperately want to feed their own children, they just need to be able to afford it. Just because you lose your job or experience another crisis does not mean you are ready to throw in the towel and resort to accepting a hand out. Those are our people!! They find more than affordable food at one of our Markits. Our customers experience dignity, choice and convenience. We can meet their needs well because we know our customers well! Not sure about you but I think that is how we build a strong community. Helping those who just need a hand up so they don't fall any further. www.gatheringmarkit.com #knowyourcustomer #abbotsfordbc #dignity #foodsecurity #nonprofitleadership

Did you know that in the United States, nearly 40% of the food sold at grocery stores goes to waste? In fact, an estimated 80 million tons of food gets thrown away each year. On top of that, an estimated 45 million Americans report experiencing food insecurity. Franklin, TN-based nonprofit, One Generation Away seeks to stop food waste—and more importantly, feed those who need it. The organization offers a mobile pantry—delivering boxes of food to those in need, no questions asked. The items One Generation Away offers are all perfectly viable and healthful, and typically include fresh produce and pantry staples like peanut butter, soups, cereal, and granola bars. Provisions Group team members recently gathered to help pack boxes as part of our Planting Seeds ethos. As symbolized by our wheat logo, when you help others, everyone can reap a harvest. We love to serve the community, to help everyone thrive. #NashilleCommunity #PlantingSeeds #CommunityService #NashvilleTech

It's time to elevate the voices of those directly involved in the hunger relief system 🙌 and look beyond the halo effect of the charitable food system. Having managed a large church food pantry for over a decade under the Feeding America network, I often describe my perspective of the system as the toddler view. 👶👶👶 Allow me to illustrate: When a parent cleans a house, they see a polished, clutter-free table and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, perhaps even expecting praise from their partner. But when a toddler looks up, they see a different reality. They notice the cracks, dirt, gum, and grime that have accumulated over the years beneath the table. I have that toddler view. Working at ground level, I witness the areas in need of improvement within food banking and food rescue. Do I have all the answers? No. But I do have solutions. ALL frontline workers have solutions. 💡 My question to those who support hunger relief efforts (foundations, event planners, elected officials, food futurists, food sustainability experts, big corporations, universities, government agencies, journalists, etc.): When was the last time you listened to and amplified the voices of the community leaders on the frontlines rather than relying on the words of those who make decisions behind a computer screen and pose for the perfect picture? Here are some things you can do: 1. Understand the ability to scale doesn't always solve hunger, it might actually perpetuate it. 2. Invite frontline workers to round table discussions, listen fully, and take notes. 3. Provide a safe place for frontline workers to share their concerns without fear of retaliation. 🧐🧐🧐 4. Understand you will have to go against the status quo and think differently. 5. Admit that we all have room for improvement. 6. Realize there are many perspectives. 7. Know that each community is different and a one size fits all approach doesn't work! 8. Encourage frontline workers to be bold with their thoughts and experiences. 📢📢📢 9. Acknowledge that we have all been wrong b/c if we were right, hunger would not exist. #FoodDignity #BetheChange #ElevateFrontlineSolutions #RealSolutions #LocalCommunity #CommunityBuilding

🥬 Fresh, healthy food is a basic human right! 🥬 Yet it's becoming a luxury. The Boston Globe recently reported that grocery prices have gone up 25% since 2019. In that time, food insecurity in Massachusetts has also doubled. More families than ever are turning to food assistance programs for help. When they do, we believe they should find nutritious, high-quality options that nourish them, spark joy, and reflect their tastes. That's why Gaining Ground farms sustainably for hunger relief, and donates *everything we harvest* to regional food pantries, soup kitchens, day shelters, schools, and more. Will you support our work with a tax-deductible contribution today? Your financial contribution will yield fresh, organic produce this year for 2,100 households experiencing food insecurity in #Boston, #Lowell, and the #MetroWest. https://lnkd.in/e5vKvS7P Thank you!

Appreciate Crystal Edmonson and Atlanta Business Chronicle spotlighting the extraordinary level of demand for food assistance that we're seeing right now across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. In June, 250,000 households visited food pantries affiliated with the Atlanta Community Food Bank. That's about 12% of our total population that went to a pantry to get food in the month of June. We're moving more food than we ever have - more than 500,000 lbs of food a day - and it's not enough. Driven by inflation, housing costs and healthcare costs, the economic pressure on low- and moderate-income families is intense, urgent and unsustainable. The Food Bank of course needs community support to continue responding aggressively. But we also need policy solutions that get more resources to these families and alleviate some of that pressure: * We need Congress to pass a Farm Bill that supports farmers and increases resources for families and food banks * We need Congress to pass the expanded Child Tax Credit, which would support more than 600,000 kids in Georgia * We need Georgia to opt into the Summer EBT program to provide additional resources to kids on free/reduced lunch while they're out of school * We need lawmakers at all levels to listen to constituents and realize how many of our neighbors are struggling right now ... and then make expanding resources for these families a top priority. In the meantime, we'll be working hard with all of you to get our neighbors the food they need. https://lnkd.in/gpYG7HgH https://lnkd.in/gZGGZDW2