Today was my first day as part of the Food Bank of NYC’s pilot “Community Cookshop” Program. Taking place in their multiple food service locations, Community Cookshop offers education and healthy cooking lessons to entire families (kids and adults). It is the next phase in expanding the cookshop program, which was originally launched in public schools to grades k-2. In 2009 I was a cookshop instructor in the Bronx, and I could not be happier that I have the opportunity to return to this program in a new light. This morning, we taught the basics on creating a food budget, and then we made a three color salad with raisins. All of the families took home the recipe, and the ingredients to make the recipe again at home. The children were amazing. They drew on paper plates their favorite foods. One 5 year old girl drew for me a piece of chicken, broccoli, blueberries, and a good ol fashioned milkshake. “Broccoli is my favorite vegetable” she said. We hadn’t even started the lesson yet, she was already going for the A+ in class. I will be assisting with this program for the remainder of the summer, and I will admit the launch this morning has prompted me to write about food security in our city, and in our country.
One in five New Yorkers are relying on emergency food services to get a meal. Emergency food services include soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, or free food such as the free breakfast/lunch program that is offered in nyc public schools. Each day, the Food Bank of NYC serves over 400,000 meals in the 5 boroughs to people who, if not for an emergency service, would not be eating at all. Three years ago, this number was around 250,000 meals. We all know that three years ago our economy plummeted, and so began the unemployment rise, housing crisis, and jokes on Saturday Night Live about financial men and their bonuses. However, we often only know either what we see on TV, or what we personally experience ourselves. So, I write this evening to assure you that the crisis is much closer to your home than you think. I wasted a lot of food as a child. I picked the cheese off my pizza, scraped many a meatloaf dinners into the trash can because I refused to have that for dinner (only to pour myself a bowl of cereal after), and I was a picky eater. I used to think that a child could never grasp how important it is to not waste food, but I am very very wrong here. You see, there are thousands of children in New York City (about 75 who I have personally worked with) who understand entirely that there is no food available to waste. For such adorable little ones, they certainly are grown up.
The sources of the hunger problem include the fact that food is expensive, housing is expensive, jobs are few, and nutrition education is barely standing on its tippy toes to be seen. Access to food is another main concern. How can we expect someone to buy fresh produce, if their supermarket does not carry it, and the nearest supermarket that does carry it is more than 10 miles away? In a suburban area, if more than 500 people, or 33% of the population(whichever is less) lives more than 10 miles from the nearest supermarket, than the area is classified as a “food desert”. In urban areas, it is classified if the distance is more than one mile (Defined by the Dept. of Agriculture). Combined with low income, (some less than 10,000 dollars a year), food deserts have a real impact on how Americans are eating.
Hunger cannot be seen. Children look like children. I see them playing in the parks, jumping up and down on the subway, and coming out of schools in the afternoon. But 30,000 of these same kids in our city are being given free food at school every day. 30,000 in new york city.
I ask of you; if you are going to spend the few minutes it took to read this blog, then please remember the following:
1.We are not born knowing fruits and vegetables are great for us, and that fast food is not. We need to be taught. This is why we need nutrition education to be in every school, community center, street fair, wherever. If we are not teaching people about food, how can we expect anyone to change their eating habits? Lets push for nutrition education.
2.Food is expensive. It is a big money game. But there is a lot of food going uneaten every day as well. We need to take the extra food whenever we can, to a place or person who needs it. Trust me, there is food to spare. Do not throw away.
3.I have said this before, but I will say it again and again. If our children cannot gain access to nutritious food, it will affect their mental and physical growth, their grades in school, and their eating habits for the rest of their lives. They are not old enough yet to look at us and say “leave me alone, I choose to be fat and unhealthy”. Until they are old enough to make that choice, we are accountable.
4.It is easier, and cheaper to prevent disease, than to treat disease.
5.And finally… do not forget that hunger cannot be seen. Support your local food banks by donating, volunteering, or advocating. Because in this economy, any one of us could be on the other side of the table tomorrow. Whether you are serving food, or eating food, we are all the same.
www.feedingamerica.org/hunger
www.foodbanknyc.org
*for anyone who is interested, it always helps to spread the knowledge :)
No comments:
Post a Comment