Turkey adoption program keeps flocks off dinner tables
By Alyson Cunningham The (Salisbury, Md.) Daily Times
DEWEY BEACH, Del. — For the last five years, Marissa Filderman has adopted a turkey for Thanksgiving.
But she's never interested in raising the feathered fellow.
The 24-year-old vegetarian is focused on saving that turkey from its inevitable holiday fate.
So each year, she adopts a foul from Farm Sanctuary, an organization which rescues abused farm animals and works to stop and expose cruel farming practices with shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif.
Around Thanksgiving, the sanctuary has a special turkey fundraiser that allows people to sponsor a turkey for $30 or a flock for $180.
According to the Farm Sanctuary's website, the organization has saved more than 1,000 turkeys in 24 years.
Read More
As we approach Thanksgiving we think about all the things we are thankful for. Our family is thankful for the food we have to eat. But for too many families there isn’t much food to be had for the holidays. It makes it even harder to accept when we have people in our society giving money to animal rights groups to feed turkeys when that money could be used to feed their neighbors. Please support your local food banks so those less fortunate than you can enjoy Thanksgiving rather than a turkey.
Showing posts with label Feeding America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feeding America. Show all posts
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Beef Industry Fights Hunger
Beef industry helps in the fight against hunger
by Tommy Noel
POCATELLO - Idaho's beef industry is helping in the fight against hunger.
Over 3,000 pounds of beef were donated to the Idaho Foodbank, courtesy of Beef Counts.
This will help feed the 116,000 people who depend on free emergency food each month.
The cattle industry-food bank partnership is the only one of its kind in the country.
"Protein is one of the things the Foodbank lacks in a big way. Today, the Foodbank can only give about five pounds a month to every family that they service. This is going to go a long ways to increase that in a significant way, and this is just the beginning," says Rick Stott of Agri Beef Co.
In addition to the beef, a $50,000 check was donated by Agri Beef Company.
The meat will now be distributed to the Foodbank's 78 partner agencies, such as the Salvation Army and various senior citizen centers. Link
The headline says it all. The beef industry is helping fight hunger, just like the farmers and ranchers that produce every other type of commodity that the human existence relies on. I’ve been proud to be involved in volunteering at food banks across the United States and there is no doubt that they serve an important need. It was especially apparent when the economy started to fall a few years ago. Many folks who lost their jobs needed some temporary help to put food on their table. Every time you volunteer at one of these food banks it’s a great reminder about what’s truly important and where our priorities should be.
by Tommy Noel
POCATELLO - Idaho's beef industry is helping in the fight against hunger.
Over 3,000 pounds of beef were donated to the Idaho Foodbank, courtesy of Beef Counts.
This will help feed the 116,000 people who depend on free emergency food each month.
The cattle industry-food bank partnership is the only one of its kind in the country.
"Protein is one of the things the Foodbank lacks in a big way. Today, the Foodbank can only give about five pounds a month to every family that they service. This is going to go a long ways to increase that in a significant way, and this is just the beginning," says Rick Stott of Agri Beef Co.
In addition to the beef, a $50,000 check was donated by Agri Beef Company.
The meat will now be distributed to the Foodbank's 78 partner agencies, such as the Salvation Army and various senior citizen centers. Link
The headline says it all. The beef industry is helping fight hunger, just like the farmers and ranchers that produce every other type of commodity that the human existence relies on. I’ve been proud to be involved in volunteering at food banks across the United States and there is no doubt that they serve an important need. It was especially apparent when the economy started to fall a few years ago. Many folks who lost their jobs needed some temporary help to put food on their table. Every time you volunteer at one of these food banks it’s a great reminder about what’s truly important and where our priorities should be.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Farmers Donate 12 Million Eggs
Egg Farmers Team up with Feeding America to Feed Nation's Hungry During Easter
ALPHARETTA, Ga., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- America's egg farmers are lending a helping hand to their local communities this Easter by teaming up with Feeding America to donate 12 million eggs to food banks across the country. The eggs donations will span approximately 90 cities in 33 states leading up to Easter on April 4.
According to a 2009 report on food insecurity from the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of Americans at risk of hunger is a staggering one in six, with an increase from 2007 to 2008 of 13 million people. The number of children at risk of hunger is now an alarming one in four. Feeding America is annually providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children. Fresh items, such as eggs, are always a prized item for food banks due to their dense nutritional and high protein content.
"Many of our clients are having to decide between food and other basic necessities, such as paying the rent or a utility bill," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "Receiving the gift of eggs, which have always been an important staple in the American diet, is a tremendous help at this time of year."
This marks the third year in a row United Egg Producers and Feeding America, the nation's food bank network, are teaming up to help ensure America's food banks are well stocked with nutrient-dense eggs. The nationwide partnership will help feed the nearly 49 million men, women and children in America who are at risk of hunger. Read More
Farmers and ranchers have always put a high value on being active in their communities. Part of that commitment is supporting local food banks. Egg farmers from across the country are once again donating to help those who struggle to put food on their tables. With 49 million people in the United States in danger of being hungry, the last thing we need are food elitists lobbying for reduced production and higher food prices.
ALPHARETTA, Ga., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- America's egg farmers are lending a helping hand to their local communities this Easter by teaming up with Feeding America to donate 12 million eggs to food banks across the country. The eggs donations will span approximately 90 cities in 33 states leading up to Easter on April 4.
According to a 2009 report on food insecurity from the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of Americans at risk of hunger is a staggering one in six, with an increase from 2007 to 2008 of 13 million people. The number of children at risk of hunger is now an alarming one in four. Feeding America is annually providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children. Fresh items, such as eggs, are always a prized item for food banks due to their dense nutritional and high protein content.
"Many of our clients are having to decide between food and other basic necessities, such as paying the rent or a utility bill," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "Receiving the gift of eggs, which have always been an important staple in the American diet, is a tremendous help at this time of year."
This marks the third year in a row United Egg Producers and Feeding America, the nation's food bank network, are teaming up to help ensure America's food banks are well stocked with nutrient-dense eggs. The nationwide partnership will help feed the nearly 49 million men, women and children in America who are at risk of hunger. Read More
Farmers and ranchers have always put a high value on being active in their communities. Part of that commitment is supporting local food banks. Egg farmers from across the country are once again donating to help those who struggle to put food on their tables. With 49 million people in the United States in danger of being hungry, the last thing we need are food elitists lobbying for reduced production and higher food prices.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Young Farmers & Ranchers Donate 5.3 Million Meals in 2009
Farm Bureau Families Raise Record Funds for America’s Hungry
WASHINGTON, D.C, February 26, 2010 – The farm and ranch families of Farm Bureau last year raised more than $213,000 and donated more than 4.8 million pounds of food to hungry Americans as part of Farm Bureau’s “Harvest for All” program. Combined, the monetary and food donations provided the equivalent of nearly 5.3 million meals through Feeding America-affiliated food banks.
The money raised last year was a record and broke the prior record of $160,000 in 2008. Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All program began in 2004, and the program has continued to build momentum since then.
Members of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program spearhead the Harvest for All program across the nation, but all facets of Farm Bureau contribute to the effort. The joint effort between Farm Bureau and Feeding America is a national community-action program through which farmers can help ensure that every American can enjoy the bounty produced by the nation’s farm and ranch families.
“In these difficult economic times, Harvest for All is all the more important,” said Will Gilmer, AFBF YF&R chairman and a dairy producer from Lamar County, Ala. “As farmers and ranchers, we are blessed to work every day, feeding America and the world. Harvest for All is a great way to share our many blessings with those less fortunate than we are.”
Since Harvest for All was launched seven years ago, Farm Bureau families have gathered more than 20 million pounds of food, logged more than 35,000 volunteer hours and raised nearly $1 million in donations. Combined, the food and monetary donations amount to nearly 24 million meals.
Read More
Most of us take for granted having food on our plate everyday and not worrying about the next day’s meals. But for many that is not the case. One in eight Americans used a food bank in 2009. Farmers and ranchers are well-known for their efforts to make their communities a better place to live. Part of doing that is making sure that our neighbors have a place to get food when they are struggling to do so on their own. The efforts by these young farmers and ranchers from across the country have made a difference in the lives of hungry people. Since 2004, more than 24 million meals have been provided by these young farmers and ranchers.
WASHINGTON, D.C, February 26, 2010 – The farm and ranch families of Farm Bureau last year raised more than $213,000 and donated more than 4.8 million pounds of food to hungry Americans as part of Farm Bureau’s “Harvest for All” program. Combined, the monetary and food donations provided the equivalent of nearly 5.3 million meals through Feeding America-affiliated food banks.
The money raised last year was a record and broke the prior record of $160,000 in 2008. Farm Bureau’s Harvest for All program began in 2004, and the program has continued to build momentum since then.
Members of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program spearhead the Harvest for All program across the nation, but all facets of Farm Bureau contribute to the effort. The joint effort between Farm Bureau and Feeding America is a national community-action program through which farmers can help ensure that every American can enjoy the bounty produced by the nation’s farm and ranch families.
“In these difficult economic times, Harvest for All is all the more important,” said Will Gilmer, AFBF YF&R chairman and a dairy producer from Lamar County, Ala. “As farmers and ranchers, we are blessed to work every day, feeding America and the world. Harvest for All is a great way to share our many blessings with those less fortunate than we are.”
Since Harvest for All was launched seven years ago, Farm Bureau families have gathered more than 20 million pounds of food, logged more than 35,000 volunteer hours and raised nearly $1 million in donations. Combined, the food and monetary donations amount to nearly 24 million meals.
Read More
Most of us take for granted having food on our plate everyday and not worrying about the next day’s meals. But for many that is not the case. One in eight Americans used a food bank in 2009. Farmers and ranchers are well-known for their efforts to make their communities a better place to live. Part of doing that is making sure that our neighbors have a place to get food when they are struggling to do so on their own. The efforts by these young farmers and ranchers from across the country have made a difference in the lives of hungry people. Since 2004, more than 24 million meals have been provided by these young farmers and ranchers.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hungry Americans
One in Eight Americans Used Food Banks in 2009
By SCOTT KILMAN
CHICAGO—A charitable organization estimated Tuesday that 37 million Americans—or one in eight people—turned to food pantries and soup kitchens during the 2009 recession, forcing some sites to cut meal portions and turn away people.
Feeding America, a Chicago-based network of 200 food banks, said in its quadrennial hunger study that 46% more people visited a hunger-relief charity at least once in 2009 than did in 2005. The estimate was based on a survey of officials at 37,000 local feeding agencies nationwide.
President Barack Obama has a stated goal of ending childhood hunger in the U.S. by 2015. But the Feeding America study indicated that high unemployment and growing health-care costs were undermining increases in federal spending on nutrition programs.
As part of the hunger study, the group also interviewed 61,000 patrons at emergency feeding sites from February through June of last year. Among other things, the Feeding America study estimated that 13.9 million children were served by an emergency feeding center in 2009 compared with 9.23 million children in 2005.
Feeding America, which changed its name in 2008 from America's Second Harvest, said its survey showed that 76% of the adults who used a food pantry in 2009 were unemployed, including 3.2 million who had lost their jobs within the past 12 months. Read More
At the same time we are seeing an increase of people who are struggling to afford food for their families, we have food elitists who continue to advocate for a higher priced food supply. I can guarantee you that hungry people aren’t concerned about “food miles” or the technology used to grow it. The people that are worried about those types of things are the ones with full stomachs. So who should we be catering to in this country? Should we use the Pollan plan and turn our backs on the last century of progress in food production and have no regard for how many people we can feed? Or should we concentrate on making food more accessible by keeping it as affordable as possible? I, for one, am much more concerned about the empty stomachs than the full ones.
By SCOTT KILMAN
CHICAGO—A charitable organization estimated Tuesday that 37 million Americans—or one in eight people—turned to food pantries and soup kitchens during the 2009 recession, forcing some sites to cut meal portions and turn away people.
Feeding America, a Chicago-based network of 200 food banks, said in its quadrennial hunger study that 46% more people visited a hunger-relief charity at least once in 2009 than did in 2005. The estimate was based on a survey of officials at 37,000 local feeding agencies nationwide.
President Barack Obama has a stated goal of ending childhood hunger in the U.S. by 2015. But the Feeding America study indicated that high unemployment and growing health-care costs were undermining increases in federal spending on nutrition programs.
As part of the hunger study, the group also interviewed 61,000 patrons at emergency feeding sites from February through June of last year. Among other things, the Feeding America study estimated that 13.9 million children were served by an emergency feeding center in 2009 compared with 9.23 million children in 2005.
Feeding America, which changed its name in 2008 from America's Second Harvest, said its survey showed that 76% of the adults who used a food pantry in 2009 were unemployed, including 3.2 million who had lost their jobs within the past 12 months. Read More
At the same time we are seeing an increase of people who are struggling to afford food for their families, we have food elitists who continue to advocate for a higher priced food supply. I can guarantee you that hungry people aren’t concerned about “food miles” or the technology used to grow it. The people that are worried about those types of things are the ones with full stomachs. So who should we be catering to in this country? Should we use the Pollan plan and turn our backs on the last century of progress in food production and have no regard for how many people we can feed? Or should we concentrate on making food more accessible by keeping it as affordable as possible? I, for one, am much more concerned about the empty stomachs than the full ones.
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