Faisal Usta’s Post

🛒 Food retailers such as Publix Super Markets, Meijer, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and Food Lion are stepping up to the plate to respond to food insecurity and help alleviate hunger. Read more in Janet Jones Kendall's roundup of how the food retail industry is combating hunger and meeting the needs of their communities. 🍎🥕 #foodretail #grocery #foodinsecurity #antihunger #fooddonation https://lnkd.in/gAAnhXcY

September is Hunger Action Month. One in four adults in the US experienced food insecurity in 2023, and that number has been going up over the past few years. But did you know that food security is more than just handing out meals? It’s actually eight different outcomes, ranging from a meal, to eating more healthfully, to improving the food distribution network. It’s critical that we get specific about which of those we’re solving for, so we can be realistic about what it takes and how much it costs. Learn how to get precise with your food security outcomes in our new white paper. Impact Genome #HungerActionMonth #philanthropy #socialimpact #foodsecurity #outcomes #hungerrelief

*GRANT ALERT** Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger Community Food Grants available for food pantries. Colorado’s new Community Food Grants support all qualifying emergency food assistance providers with funding, specifically the procurement and distribution of healthy, culturally relevant foods in communities, while also championing local agriculture. The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger administers the grant program, in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services. Both food pantries and food banks are key partners in addressing hunger across Colorado. With these funds, food pantries can acquire and distribute food directly to individuals and families as aligned with community needs and priorities. Similarly, food banks can buy food in bulk and distribute the entirety of their grant purchases to the 1,200 food pantries in their agency networks. This 2024 - 2025 funding opportunity is only open to food pantries; the Blueprint has already awarded food banks with their portion of the funding. Requests can range from $5,000 - $50,000, with a total of $1 million available for food pantries. The online application closes on Friday, September 6, at 5 p.m. MST. We intend to notify applicants about funding decisions by Tuesday, October 15. https://lnkd.in/gJNUaHvw

There are types of #foodinsecurity we don't talk a lot about - holding meals till a certain day, saving left overs instead of eating them when you are hungry, filling a pantry with carb loaded foods but not having a flexible budget for healthy items and produce regularly, scouting food banks at certain times in the year or when you know you might be facing scarcity soon, saving meals to only make for your children and not yourself, thinking about how to buy more vitamins cause there is no way to afford them through nutritious meals anymore, and the great old fashion - just indirectly learning to skip meals to save money. These are common experiences of mine, and I know they are of #workingfamilies in #denver Demand on food banks in Denver is now higher than ever. https://lnkd.in/eEeBZqmH I have been vocal about #groceries lately and how much they cost for a #family like mine in Denver metro, and Jenny McCoy captures what many #coloradans are facing now https://lnkd.in/e6JG6P4J

Feeding the Other: Whiteness, Privilege, and Neoliberal Stigma in Food Pantries - PDF: https://lnkd.in/g_Q8iBWD How food pantries stigmatize their clients through a discourse that emphasizes hard work, self help, and economic productivity rather than food justice and equity. The United States has one of the highest rates of hunger and food insecurity in the industrialized world, with poor households, single parents, and communities of color disproportionately affected. Food pantries--run by charitable and faith-based organizations--rather than legal entitlements have become a cornerstone of the government's efforts to end hunger. In Feeding the Other, Rebecca de Souza argues that food pantries stigmatize their clients through a discourse that emphasizes hard work, self help, and economic productivity rather than food justice and equity. De Souza describes this "framing, blaming, and shaming" as "neoliberal stigma" that recasts the structural issue of hunger as a problem for the individual hungry person. De Souza shows how neoliberal stigma plays out in practice through a comparative case analysis of two food pantries in Duluth, Minnesota. Doing so, she documents the seldom-acknowledged voices, experiences, and realities of people living with hunger. She describes the failure of public institutions to protect citizens from poverty and hunger; the white privilege of pantry volunteers caught between neoliberal narratives and social justice concerns; the evangelical conviction that food assistance should be "a hand up, not a handout"; the culture of suspicion in food pantry spaces; and the constraints on food choice. It is only by rejecting the neoliberal narrative and giving voice to the hungry rather than the privileged, de Souza argues, that food pantries can become agents of food justice.

“The state is leaving nearly $3.5 billion in unused federal food benefits on the table because 30% of eligible residents aren’t signed up to receive them, one of the worst rates in the country,” reports Joe Garofoli with the San Francisco Chronicle. CalFresh is one of the most effective tools to address food insecurity. That’s why the San Francisco Marin Food Bank co-sponsored AB1967, a bill to create a cabinet-level food insecurity officer to reduce the bureaucracy that prevents families from getting benefits they’re eligible for and money needed to buy their children healthy food. We’re helping to lead the way, advocating for CalFresh reform, so that our state can unlock $3.5B in federal dollars for 2.7 million low-income individuals. Ending hunger requires taking action to make it a reality, and your support of the Food bank is vital. Read the full article: https://loom.ly/kEaaMFg

We are proud of our partners, SeaShare for the tremendous work they do to provide nutritious and sustainable seafood for those in need. Since 1994, SeaShare, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, has been providing high protein seafood to food banks throughout the U.S. SeaShare manages numerous programs across the country designed to turn its donations into nutritious seafood meals for the hungry. SeaShare receives donations of seafood products, processing services, transportation, packaging, and financial donations. They combine these donations to create seafood products that are readily usable by food banks, soup kitchens, and food pantries. SeaShare and the seafood industry have donated over 250 million seafood meals across our nation. The seafood industry, through SeaShare, is now one of the largest providers of high quality protein to food banks. Hunger and adequate nutrition continue to be a growing problem in our country. Seafood provides the high protein item that many people are missing in their diet due to cost or availability. Hunger hits children the hardest, affecting their health and ability to learn. Families that experience food insecurity often cannot afford the nutritious food that they need. Please follow SeaShare here: https://lnkd.in/gZK-PzaA

So many things to post about today! Check out this story. Everyday, I'm working to elevate the voices of our communities. Food cost is too high. More and more people, many of which are children, are being priced out of healthy meals. Food banks have less resources yet are expected to feed more people. You can help by sharing this post! Our #PAsenate and #PAhouse can help by strengthening #SFPP and #PASS in the #PAbudget. Our #USCongress can help by strengthening #TEFAP and #SNAP in the #FarmBill. #NWPAfoodbank ***The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Second Harvest Food Bank.

🍩 Did you know today is #NationalDonutDay? It's the perfect day for a little donut pun and a reminder that you 'donut' need to explain or defend your food choices to anyone. It's okay to choose a food just because you enjoy it and felt like eating it! #eatingdisorderrecovery #edrecovery #eatingdisorderawareness #eatingdisordersupport #eatingdisordercommunity #antidietculture

In the fight against food insecurity, one of the biggest challenges is not just providing food—but ensuring access to healthy and nutritious options. Over 3.1 billion people worldwide are unable to afford a balanced diet. In rural and urban food deserts, people struggle to access fresh produce, whole grains, and other essentials that promote long-term health. At EETZ Rescue, we’re working to change this. Our app connects surplus food directly to nonprofits, ensuring that nutrient-rich meals—rather than processed or low-quality options—reach those in need. By bridging this gap, we not only fight hunger but also improve the health and well-being of underserved communities! #FoodInsecurity #FoodRescue #EndHunger #EETZRescue