More than 300 schools are partnering with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma to identify students in need by giving the children backpacks while working with the childhood hunger programs coordinator for the food bank.

Each school has a coordinator, who trains teachers and staff how to spot a chronically hungry student. For example, cafeteria servers might spot a child hoarding food or stashing it in his pocket.  A teacher might notice excessive questions about how long until lunch. A counselor may hear about meals prepared by older siblings or the elementary schoolchildren themselves.   These are all tell-tale behaviors that there are children going to school hungry everyday or enough days where the child becomes food insecure worrying about if they can count on getting a meal when hunger strikes.

Some kids have vitamin, mineral and protein deficiencies. Most of the signs are in the child’s eyes: puffy eyes from a lack of protein or dry eyes with dark circles and cracked lips from not enough vitamin A, C, D or E.

The Food 4 Kids backpacks from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma contain everything from peanut butter to pudding to peaches, and children receive them for every weekend and school holiday as the school meal programs only cover feedings for when school is in session. 

The focus of the back pack program is to not only provide the necessary caloric intake for sustained energy and growth but to also meet as many of the Food Categories on the Food Pyramid as possible: Milk/Dairy, Meat/Meat Alternatives, Fruits/Vegetables and Bread/Grains for proper brain, organ and muscle development.

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Ground beef, milk, chicken, apples, tomatoes, lettuce, coffee and orange juice are among the staples that cost more these days.

Soaring prices are causing shoppers to rethink long-held habits such as store loyalty.

Wal-Mart and other supercenters that sell food are on the climb representing almost 25% of the market share.

Those who can’t absorb the added expenses are increasingly seeking help from food pantries and food banks that distribute nearly two billion pounds of food and grocery products each year.

Many of the food banks I have spoken with have experienced anywhere from a 35%-60% increase in demand over last year.

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The Central Missouri Food Bank’s Columbia location served more than 11,000 needy people in the month of August.  The food bank set a new record for clients served in each of the past three months.  This time last year, the food bank was serving between 8500 and 9000 people a month. 

The center averaged between 150 and 200 new clients every month since June. 

Boone county has had the lowest unemployment in Missouri for the past two years, but we are they still see people coming out.

Corporate donations and community food drives really help, but it just doesn’t keep up with the increased demand.  The Central Missouri Food Bank, like the Northern Arizona Food Bank, is reaching out to local hunters and gardeners to boost its stocks of protein and fresh produce – key components to the Food Pyramid.

Patrons have come to ask if there is fresh game like deer available as there are so many health benefits to protein from free range animals as well as from fresh fruits and vegeatables locally grown.

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s “Share the Harvest” program donated 2.1 million pounds of meat to food banks in the state.

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The government released reports today that indicated that over-all inflation has been kept in check during our recovery….minus the increase in cost in food staples, food commodities and energy.   That’s a BIG Minus as we all need to drive to work, heat our homes and feed our families.

The fact is; steadily rising food costs are changing the very ways we feed our families.

The worst case of food inflation in nearly 20 years has more Americans giving up restaurant meals to eat at home. We’re buying fewer luxury food items, eating more leftovers and buying more store brands instead of name-brand items.

Feeding a family of four often means scouring grocer ads for the best prices, taking fewer trips as a way to save gas and simply buying less food, period.

Record-high energy, corn and wheat prices in the past year have led to some shocking reactions to prices in the grocery aisles. The average price of a loaf of bread has increased over 30 percent since 2005. In the last year alone, the average price of carton of eggs has increased almost 50 percent.

Ground beef, milk, chicken, apples, tomatoes, lettuce, coffee and orange juice are among the staples that cost more these days.

Soaring prices are causing shoppers to rethink long-held habits such as store loyalty.

Wal-Mart and other supercenters that sell food are on the climb representing almost 25% of the market share.

Those who can’t absorb the added expenses are increasingly seeking help from food pantries and food banks that distribute nearly two billion pounds of food and grocery products each year.

Many of the food banks I have spoken with have experienced anywhere from a 35%-60% increase in demand over last year.  How they stretch to meet their demand amazes me constanty.

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Giving comes from so many places.  I made brief mention of Feeding America in my last Blog.  A partnership between Feeding America and American Idol, one of America’s most loved Television Programs, found a unique way to not only bring awareness to the Fight Against Hunger, but brings in monetary donations to help the cause to feed the needy.

American Idol offered a private vocal lesson with American Idol judges Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson.  All of the proceeds go to charity at a little more than $3,000 for each lesson.  The program is called American Idol Gives Back and is offering its first ever auction, including items like vocal lessons, autographed photos, tickets to the show, cell phones and t-shirts, amongst other items from the show.

The Idol Gives Back Foundation was founded as a way to use the draw of American Idol to raise money for charities, encouraging audiences to donate online, over the phone, through text message or mail. The money raised benefits several foundations with impacts all around the world. The Children’s Health Fund works to bring health care to homeless and low-income families. Feeding America feeds more than 37 million Americans a year. Malaria No More is working to end Malaria in Africa. Save the Children works in many areas to benefit children in the United States and around the world. The United Nations Foundation works with the United Nations to benefit the lives of a variety of people around the world. All of these charities will be benefited through the show and the auction.

My Momma always said too much TV wasn’t good for me.  Who Knew it could do so much for the hungry?

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There are a few distinctions on the definition of a Food Bank and a Food Pantry.  Both are 501c3 organizations that fill out 990 forms to the IRS and have transparent financial statements as they both fall into the non-profits category.

There are a few hundred non-profits that call themselves a “Food Bank” across the US.  These look and feel typically like a Costco with pallets of shelf stable food items, large commercial refrigerators for fresh produce and freezers for frozen items.  The difference is that, typically, food banks don’t directly service an individual who needs food…although many do as well.

These Large Food Banks service over 65,000 smaller non-profit agencies that have smaller storage facilities and will directly service individuals who come to their location.  Each agency will drive their own vehicles to pick up their supplies from their closest food bank as much as once each week.

Furthermore, over 200 food banks across the country share the distinction of being affiliated with Feeding America.  Feeding America’s mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks by sharing best practices to maximize the amount monetary and food donations received and stretch food purchasing dollars throughout its group.

Isn’t it comforting to know that your local non-profit is supported by a larger non-profit entity, who is supported by another larger non-profit entity — all with the same intent in mind — Feed the Hungry!

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I will tell you as I write this entry that our guide at the Greater Chicago Food Depository said that he gave us the longest tour since he has been at the food bank – about 5 years!  We are a curious bunch and really want to learn the ins and outs of how different food banks operate.

Here is a little history on the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The Greater Chicago Food Depository was established in 1979 and has just celebrated their 30th anniversary.  They are a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in their community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 678,000 adults and children in Cook County every year. The Food Depository has grown through the years—from 471,000 pounds of food and 85 member agencies in its first year to distributing 66 million pounds of nonperishable food and fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of 135,000 meals every day.

Through the years, the organization has moved four times, developed an array of innovative programs and become one of the world’s leading food banks. Since its start, the Food Depository has distributed close to 1 BILLION pounds of food, touching the lives of millions of Chicagoans.

When we think of donations to food banks, we think of food or monetary donations to purchase food.  We don’t always think about the capital needs that non-profits have and how they can transform a community in so many ways.  In my last blog I spoke about Vital Bridges with a 600 sq ft pantry and maybe 2,800 sq ft dedicated to the total facility.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is 280,000 sq ft.  Built just a few years ago, this food bank was designed to be nothing other than a food bank.  Modeled after the First Food Bank, St Mary’s of Phoenix, AZ that was established in 1969.  These 2 food banks are on the cutting edge of how they service their respective communities in many ways.

We walk into the atrium and take stairs to the second floor to a culinary academy.  The Greater Chicago Food Depository offers programs in a classroom and kitchen setting to acquire 3 levels of culinary training.  Each culinary student learns the workings of food preparation and handling in a classroom and experiences practical training within a live kitchen.  The kitchen is modern and state of the art.  With onsite chefs, this team of culinary students prepares hot meals for the hungry.  Daily, they prepare hundreds of meals for children and seniors packaging them off for another team that distributes the meals throughout the Chicago area.  Once a student has graduated from the academy, the Greater Chicago Food Depository will help each individual in their onsite career center with job placement for up to 12 months after certificate completion.

As we walk through the facility we witness the warehouse in action.  There are over 150 employees working at the Greater Chicago Food Depository with hundreds of volunteers that arrive each week and others working to achieve training certificates in warehouse responsibilities: picking, packing, proper food handling and storage, fork lift operation, delivery, re-pack and assembly.  This facility looks and feels like a food manufacturing operation.

Throughout our visit I noticed many goals written on walls, in rooms and hallways.  As we were leaving, I remarked on one of the last goals and that goal was to “Establish Measurement Beyond Pounds that Reflect our Impact.”

Each food bank across the country is measured in how many pounds they donate…but what I saw at the Greater Chicago Food Depository went way beyond what could normally be “measured” and that is the effect on the community through: local employment, training, the culinary academy, hot meals for kids and seniors, emergency relief boxes for the Emergency Services of Chicago.  The list goes on and on…and it is so much more than pounds of food.

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Yet another pilgrimage.  Some folks have to visit every continent.  Others might have the need to see every baseball park across the US.  For me…it’s Food Banks and niche non-profits who have gotten creative. 

The alarm rings at 4:00 am on a Monday.  I’d like to say I left Monday morning…but really…it’s still night in my mind; having had a long nap that night.  Flight leaves at 6:30 from CA and it is already 8:30 in Chicago.  Add 6 hours for the flight and I am not unpacking until about 2:00pm in my hotel room downtown Chicago.

But what a beautiful day.   When you see a movie of downtown Chicago whether it’s contemporary like “Ferris Bueller” or a period piece like “The Untouchables,” the lighting seems almost too bright…too Hollywood.  When you walk along the Chicago River on a sunny day in August that light is real as the river creates a space you don’t see in New York or LA.  Maybe it was lack of sleep or the idea that we were in the heartland of America’s Mid-west, or the thought of who we had planned to visit that day, but that light felt so hopeful.

I don’t know Chicago like I do New York or LA, but we drove to the south side of Chicago.  There were open spaces and parks, brown stones and the same “L” that courses through downtown but the energy felt different.  There were empty shopping carts in the parks, broken glass on the sidewalks, litter floating in ponds and the same “L” rolled by but with a deafening sound. 

We drove under the “L” through the light that casts its melancholy shadows.  There were work crews donning orange vests, boarded up buildings, overgrown lots and abandoned vehicles.  

Like traveling through the desert, we came upon our destination; Vital Bridges, a center for AIDS outreach, that appeared like an oasis.  We walk in to see a small but very busy staff.  We met with a Registered Dietician who used her training to bring in the needed nutritional food that clients with HIV must have.  She covers the entire food pyramid being mindful to: low sugar, good fats, organic produce and dairy, and whole grains while under the constraints of a very tight budget.

Imagine contracting HIV and becoming too weak to work, losing your job, your home and having to choose between food and medication.  This center serves clients that have renal failure and diabetes on top of a whole host of other side effects of HIV.  Her program is designed to supplement the diet of her customers, but admittedly, as she serves those well below the poverty line; her food is often stretched to be the sole source of nutrition for her clients.  She does her best to accommodate everyone out of her pantry that is 600 sq feet.

Today, the organization serves nearly 2,000 people impacted by the HIV epidemic annually. Since their founding in 1988, Vital Bridges has provided more than 10 million meals, 600,000 nights of shelter and 250,000 hours of counseling to over 10,000 clients.  When you think that a non-profit seems to barely have enough to support its client base, they push the boundaries.  This center’s goal is not only to continue to support all those individuals that come to them weekly, but to increase their outreach to eventually include all clients with debilitating and incurable diseases throughout Chicago.

Every time I see what non-profits do…I leave thinking: “wow”….I have to spread the word.

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There are so many types of non-profits involved with food donations.  When you consider adding an additional component of food distribution under disaster and emergency relief, things become complicated and costly.

If we look at recent disasters: earthquakes in Haiti and Mexico, wild fires in California and Western Canada, floods in Tennessee and Pakistan, Hurricane Katrina or the Tsunami of 2004; there are a few things in common.  Infrastructure is damaged making it difficult to distribute food.  Utilities are taken out which affects water, electricity and gas.  This makes it impossible to refrigerate or heat raw items or prepare foods that require water. 

All of these disaster areas are much like war zones.  Reinforcements must come in and aid the wounded.  Meals must be distributed by hand, individually portioned packed and must be ready to eat with little to no preparation with consideration to health content.  Shelters have to be constructed.  All of this before we even start to re-build.

In our daily lives, we take all these things for granted: clean accessible water supply, free-flowing electricity, gas and readily available sources of healthful food.

When we give to a disaster cause or to an agency that supports disasters, think about how many different components we are trying to replace under so many difficult constraints.  Whether it be here in the US or abroad the effort is entirely reactive as we never know when, where or how a disaster will strike.

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I spoke with Northern Arizona Food Bank earlier today….and I have to share.  I beam when I hear how non-profits handle their challenges creatively.

It is almost a universal fact that virtually every single non-profit food organization has experienced an increase in demand.  Northern Arizona Food Bank has had a 65% increase in their demand just versus last year which was up from the year before.

Their demand is up but their financial donations are down.  I asked how they manage to keep up.  They rely on creative measures to continue to hand out more and more pounds of food each year.   In creating their emergency box of food that they hand out to families, the majority of the items are a balance fresh produce and fruit.  The creation of “The 3000 Club” of 3000 local growers and businesses aid in the collection of over 30 million pounds of fresh produce each year that directly contribute to meeting the rise in demand.

Knowing that each emergency box was filled with fresh produce I was curious about the challenge surrounding protein as this is the most costly part of our food pyramid.  Again, I was struck by another creative solution.  Successful hunters that fill their tag have a unique opportunity to return to their heritage as food providers and give back to their community to help the less fortunate. Donations of wild game meat from individuals have exceeded 32,900 pounds, providing over 144,500 quarter pound servings or meals comprised of wild game meat that is both lean and range fed (Venison, Elk, Buffalo).

I learn more and more with every food bank that I speak with.

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