Thursday, October 17, 2013

Learn about Volunteering to End Hunger!

Dear Supporter,

Thankfully, the shutdown is over. But given the political chaos in our nation’s capital over the past several weeks, I know it can be easy to lose sight of what we’re working for. Between the government shutdown, the Farm Bill, and the ongoing budget battles over cuts to vital anti-hunger programs, it is easy to become disillusioned and frustrated with Washington and our elected officials.

However, as you know, the fight against hunger isn’t only happening inside the DC beltway. It’s happening every day in every community across the country.

I know we’ve been talking a great deal about the impact Congress is having on our mission—and we will continue to do so—but it’s important to remember that meanwhile, our food banks are hard at work helping to feed your neighbors who are struggling. During these challenging times, our food banks need your help more than ever. So, while the government is stuck in neutral, it’s a great time to volunteer at your local food bank to help fight hunger in your community.

We will keep fighting for anti-hunger programs here in Washington, but let’s take a moment to remember what we are fighting for—to ensure that nobody goes hungry in America. So, if you’re like most people and tired of feeling frustrated with Congress, please volunteer at your local food bank and make a big difference in your community.

Brett Weisel signature

Brett Weisel
Director of Advocacy
Feeding America

Meet Jim, Real Stories of SNAP
For more than 40 years, Jim worked as a mechanic. When the economy crashed, business stopped. For rural clients like Jim the challenges of lower levels of education and concentration of low-wage industries can be hard to overcome. Jim knew he needed to apply for SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) when after waiting for a customer payment all day - it simply never arrived. Without a cracker in the house he applied for food assistance and is glad he did. He would have had no other way to eat.

Meet Jim watch his video and share his story to educate others about how critical SNAP benefits are for hungry Americans.

Watch and share Jim's story now»

Local Food Pantries here in Montcalm and Ionia Counties are also looking for volunteers!

It is easy to find volunteer needs at United Way Montcalm-Ionia Counties volunteer management website at this direct link to the Community Food Network page.

If you don't see something there you can contact a pantry near you. Use the CFN Google Map to find the closest pantry.

View Community Food Network in a larger map

Or find additional information at the Community Food Network website!

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Harvest Recipes I want to try!

Pumpkin Pie flavored Pumpkin Seeds

TIME: 10 minutes prep (not including seed excavation)
MAKES: 3 1/2 cups roasted pumpkin seeds

3 1/2 cups raw fresh pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Place the seeds in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the salt and add hot water to cover. Let sit for 4 hours (or overnight), until the seeds are puffy. Scoop the seeds off the top of the water, avoiding any leftover pumpkin bits, and transfer them to a large tea towel. Use another towel to pat them mostly dry – they’ll still be a bit slimy, but do what you can.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Transfer the seeds to a large mixing bowl, and stir in the olive oil and maple syrup. Blend the remaining ingredients, plus the remaining teaspoon salt, in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture over the seeds as you stir them. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then spread the seeds on the baking sheets in a thin layer.

Bake for about 25 minutes, rotating sheets and stirring seeds once or twice, or until browned and crisp. Remove seeds from the oven, sprinkle immediately with additional salt, and let cool on baking sheets. Break seeds apart and enjoy, alone or on salads. Store cooled seeds in an airtight container.

Another alternative: Ranch Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds, washed and dried
1 TB powdered ranch dressing mix
2 TB olive oil
½ tsp sea salt.

(Follow the same directions as above!)

Pumpkin Muffins

1 Box Spiced Cake Mix
1 Can of Pumpkin

Blend the 2 ingredients together, bake in muffin pans at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

With a twist ... another recipe I saw added pineapple tidbits. And I think I want to try these with a cream cheese frosting!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Locally Grown

More about EatLocally

How it Works

What is eatlocalgrown?

The eatlocalgrown project is a crowd-sourced community driven tool that helps you find, rate and share locally grown food.

There are categories for:

farms
farmers markets
restaurants
grocery/co-ops

And also all kinds of artisans like butchers and cheesmakers.

Another GREAT VIDEO!

Did you know that many of the Community Gardens that work with the Community Food Network allow volunteers to take home a certain amount of the produce grown?

To find a map of local community gardens, food pantries, and food resources visit the Community Food Network's MAP

To find a Farmer's Market near you visit http://www.westmichiganfarmermarkets.org/

The Scarecrow (Chipotle Commercial)

Have you seen "The Scarecrow"? It's a 3 minute short film / commercial from the Mexican themed Chipotle Restaurant chain that beautifully illustrates the horrors of industrial raised animals for food. The restaurant chain has a made a big push to support humanely raised, locally grown food and vows to eliminate as much GMO food from their menu as possible...

Window Farms: How to Grow a Garden in your Apartment

Britta Riley wanted to grow her own food (in her tiny apartment). So she and her friends developed a system for growing plants in discarded plastic bottles -- researching, testing and tweaking the system using social media, trying many variations at once and quickly arriving at the optimal system. Call it distributed DIY. And the results? Delicious.

A Place at the Table!

A Place at the Table

What can you do to END hunger in America!

Fifty million people in the U.S.—one in four children—don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine the issue of hunger in America through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity: Barbie, a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty and is trying to provide a better life for her two kids; Rosie, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors to feed her and has trouble concentrating in school; and Tremonica, a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by the largely empty calories her hardworking mother can afford.

Ultimately, A Place at the Table shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implications for our nation, and that it could be solved once and for all, if the American public decides — as they have in the past — that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of us all.

Learn more at http://www.takepart.com/place-at-the-table

SNAP: Fact vs Fiction! A Video YOU want to SEE!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Make a Difference Day Press Release

COMMUNITY FOOD NETWORK VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY!

For more than two decades, USA WEEKEND and Points of Light have joined together to sponsor Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of community service. Points of Light leads thousands of projects each year from coast to coast involving corporations, communities, nonprofit organizations, entire states and individuals.

Make A Difference Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Saturday in October and connects people with

opportunities to serve, increases the strength of communities and promotes civic engagement.

The nationwide undertaking includes revitalizing community centers, rehabilitating parks, improving low-income homes, creating community art projects, mentoring, serving meals, developing community gardens and much more.

Here in Montcalm & Ionia Counties we will celebrate Make A Difference Day by hosting the Community Food Network's Harvest Celebration recognizing all the wonderful volunteers who work in community gardens, food pantries, soup kitchens, and conduct food drives and healthy eating educational classes in our community.

The Challenge: Across the Feeding America network of over 63,000 agencies, 66 percent of pantries, 41 percent of kitchen programs, and 11 percent of shelter programs have no paid staff, relying entirely on volunteers.

The Need: One hundred percent of food banks responding to a Feeding America survey reported increases in demand for emergency food assistance over the last year. Demand for emergency food assistance increased at a rate ranging from 28.6% - 37.7%

Seventy-two percent of food banks do not feel as though they are able to adequately meet the needs of their communities without adjusting the amount of food distributed. Community Gardens help to fill the need by growing food locally, teaching community members how to grow their own food, and encourage local farms to give excess produce to local pantries. By coming together to address the problems we all face, we are building a stronger, more vibrant community.

For more information regarding Make A Difference Day events, please visit Get CONNECTED! or the Community Food Network Blog.

Download a PDF of this Press Release to share with a friend!

Mini-Drive Workshop

The Community Food Network is proud to be the coordinating agency on the 5 Annual County-Wide Food Drive, originally begun by WION Radio! Donations will be collected throughout Ionia County to support not for profit organizations helping families in Ionia County.

There will be a Mini-Drive Kick-Off on October 21st at the Ionia Co Intermediate School District Admin Building from 4-7pm.

Mini-Drive hosts are encouraged to stop in to pick up supplies, pick up marketing materials, and chat with the Food Drive Committee. Organizations and businesses are encouraged to host a mini-drive at their location with all donations coming together at the Ionia Intermediate School District on November 22nd where they will be sorted by volunteers. Mini-drives can take place any time between Make A Difference Day on October 26th to National Family Volunteer Day on November 22nd.

Mini-Drives Must Include:

Placing a Collections Container at your business.
Displaying Community Food Network print materials.
Drop off your collected donations at the Ionia ISD on Friday, November 22nd.

Volunteers Needed

To help set up stations at the Mini-Drive Workshop! Organizations hosting mini-drives will need help at each station completing tasks. One of the biggest stations will be the supply station where Organizations can pick up collection boxes, marketing materials and additional supplies.

We will need a wide variety of collection boxes! If you have any to donate, please drop them off at the Ionia ISD on October 21st after 3pm!

Community Food Network Harvest Celebration

As the Community Food Network celebrates 5 years of community involvement, we want say THANK YOU to each and every one of our volunteers! Please join us for the Harvest Celebration and mingle with other VOLUNTEERS who are having an impact in our community!

5 PM - VOLUNTEER POTLUCK!

Bring your favorite Harvest Recipe as a dish to share! You can also bring a recipe card for our special Harvest Section that will be included in the 2014 Cookbook!

6 PM - HARVEST WORKSHOPS

7 PM - VOLUNTEER AWARDS!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Food Day in Michigan

Food Day is a nationwide celebration and movement for healthy, affordable and sustainable food.

Events in Michigan include:

Michigan’s Apple Crunch!
This statewide event encourages Michiganders to bite into Michigan-grown apples.

Monroe Food Day Celebration
This event will feature educational and hands-on displays, children’s activities, animals, and music.

Eat Real Detroit at Lafayette Greens
Lafayette Greens will host a tasting of garden produce and a conversation about issues of food
justice, food security and healthy communities.

Glean & Grow
Waterford schools will have lunch menus with farm fresh Michigan foods and taste tests for students
from the schools’ Edible Learning Schoolyards and the Oakland County Farmers Market.
Food Day at Blandford. Blandford’s Farm will be hosting tours of their three-acre farm, as well as offering garden games, samples of fresh foods, and other activities.

Food Day Eve (October 23)
This event, held at the Allen Street Farmers Market in Lansing, will feature special events and guests,
music, food, costumes and more. Tour the Hunter Park Garden House and Allen Market Place
Participants can meet at Allen Neighborhood Center at 4pm to take a walking tour of the Hunter
Park Garden house and the new Allen Market Place, a new food hub.

Eat Real News - October 2013

Nearly 50 million Americans are considered “food insecure,” or near hunger, and hence, participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) is at an all-time high. SNAP is vital to reducing hunger, but its budget is under constant attack while federal measures to increase food access are minimal. In a country with such great wealth and agricultural abundance, it’s unacceptable that millions of Americans cannot afford to buy enough food for their families.

“It’s unconscionable.” Food Day Co-Chair and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s (D-Connecticut) response at the Childhood Obesity Summit to the House of Representatives approval of a $40 billion cut to SNAP

Michigan Good Food Charter

VISION

We envision a thriving economy, equity and sustainability for all of Michigan and its people through a food
system rooted in local communities and centered on good food.

October 2013 Newsletter

Michigan Good Food is a policy initiative centered on the Michigan Good Food Charter. The initiative aims to promote policy changes that will advance "good food" in Michigan - food that is healthy, green, fair and affordable.

Check out the new 2012 Michigan Good Food Report Card!

The Michigan Good Food Charter presents a vision for Michigan’s food and agriculture system and outlines 25 agenda priorities for the next 10 years.


Michigan Good Food Charter

For an overview of why good food is important - in the words of Michigan farmers and eaters - and the goals of the Michigan Good Food Charter, check out the following video.

No Kid Hungry - It time for Videos Again and this is PERSONAL!

No Kid Hungry Video!

This is a long video, but it demonstrates how 2 families struggle with Hunger Issues!

More videos!

One last video with personal experience!

MY STORY...WHY I CARE about HUNGER in AMERICA!

Ok, let me first say, this is not written with the intent to bring pity on me, my family, or other families in my circle of friends! As a matter of fact, I have purposely held this type of info back as to keep my children from receiving special treatment (good and bad) in school and elsewhere. Now with only 1 student in the Public School System, and her support to publicly "Stand Up for your Beliefs!" I will share our family story.

Many do not know that I moved out on my own at the very intelligent age of 16 years old! No job, no school, no money! (Hindsight...not the smartest move I ever made! Sheer teenage rebellion in knowing I was smarter then my parents! Yah right!) Thanks to someone looking over my shoulder, I did not become a teenage parent in those first few years! Scott and I started having kids when I was 19...again not necessarily by choice, but more we had pushed out luck far enough. Still no job, no schooling and now with Kids...as the children continued to come over the next 10 years, we decided it would be better for our kids to go without some things in order to have a stay at home mom. Keep in mind, Scott worked various jobs sometimes 60 hours a week during this time, but our income levels always have had us hovering around the poverty line.

Shortly after child number 3, I returned to school to get the High School Diploma that is so needed these days. But I didn't return to the workforce until after our 5th child was born. At that point, I did not have a choice, my husband was disabled due to a 9 month long migraine! Friends and family helped as best they could, but with no medical answers jumping our way and no idea how long our main bread winner would be out of work, our family struggled for quite some time relying on assistance. I started out with a minimum wage job, working crappy hours, with a boss that didn't appreciate me...much like so many others. Yet I worked my way up...to where I am now, a respected Community Member, Volunteer and Leader of many Community Programs meant to make people stronger.

To date: my family still lives BELOW the poverty line...not quite low enough for some assistance, way under the limit for other means of assistance. With 3 Kids at home and special dietary concerns with Gluten Free issues among others, my family still has to make choices about which bills to pay this month and limiting the amount of food that can bought at the grocery store. Many who know me, know that my current job is grant based and is expiring in November. I have spent much of the last year trying to find another job! Jobs are scarce in our community, jobs with a FUTURE are even harder to find. I did find another job to move to in November, again it will involve working with volunteers and HUNGER ISSUES. But yet again, it will pay next to nothing, keeping my family on the poverty line and with an expiration date in a year. So by this time next year, I too will be job hunting yet again. Gone are the days when those who wanted to WORK, could find a place to hire them that would pay a fair wage for enough hours and benefits available.

Myth 1: Low Income People eat nothing but junk food!

The $20 we chose to spend at the apple orchard to get fresh, locally grown food will mean one more meal of the cheaper, less nutritious foods we must eat for dinner. Mac & Cheese, Hot Dogs, Ham & Egg Sandwiches are some of the staples that we eat...not due to choice because we like them, but due to price, because they are cheap! My kids actually prefer meat, potatoes, and veggies...but those are EXPENSIVE!

Myth 2: Low Income People eat fast food too often!

My family eats fast food on the occasions where either I have worked (or volunteered) for a 10+ hour shift with little to no break, little to no food, and little compensation. You will see at many events where volunteers are used, a standard food often provided is PIZZA. This is fairly cheap, easy to make arrangements ahead of time for the event planner, and often can be donated. Most of my family can not eat this type of pizza without getting sick due to dietary issues. (FYI- if you see us eating pizza at an event, it is because we are STARVING and don't have another option! This is why you will rarely see pizza at any volunteer event I am in charge of unless the target audience is teens and they request it!)

Reason number 2 my family eats fast food...often someone else is buying! Friends and family care and want to help...but don't know how. Or I do a favor for someone else and this is how they choose to repay us. Or, I am thanking someone else for doing me a favor and I happen to be buying them a meal because I know they will be going home to bare cupboards.

Myth 3: People would rather buy alcohol, cigarettes, and lotto tickets instead of providing food for their family!

OK, this might be true for some people! This is what PEOPLE see happening and decide not to support SNAP benefits or donate to a Food Drive or support their local Food Pantry. But I'm here to tell you that is the exception to the rule that gives hard working, but low income families a bad name. Working as closely with non-profits and low income people as much as I have over the last 5 years, I have seen first hand this exception to the rule. The problem is, when you punish people for STUPIDITY (choosing bad substances over food) you are really punishing their children! FACT: SNAP benefits can not be used to purchase alcohol or tobacco products! (Some people also receive CASH benefits on their BRIDGE Card, giving the appearance that they are using Food Benefits for such purchases. It may be morally wrong to make such purchases with money designed to pay rent, bills, and put gas in your car to drive to work but receiving these benefits are really hard to do as they are reserved for people who are the lowest of income, often due to extreme circumstances and these benefits do not last long! I think there is currently a 2 year term limit to these benefits. But to quote a friend...I digress!) There are always going to be people who abuse the system...no matter what system you are talking about!

Myth 4: If they can afford a cell phone, they can afford food!

OK, this commonly heard phrase grinds me the wrong way on so many levels...

1. Cell phones are actually cheaper then land line phones in most cases these days.

2. There are 2-3 companies out there that provide low income families with FREE cell phones and FREE minutes because there is NO HOPE of a person getting or keeping a job if they can't call their employer or be called in for a job interview.

3. Low income families often are charged more for services such as cell phones because they do not have the credit required to purchase a contract. Prepaid phones cost MORE! Cashing a check at Meijer/Walmart because you do not have a bank account...costs more! Purchasing a car to get to work, costs more because you have have cash (no credit for loans) which means you buy a low quality car, which needs more maintenance and is more likely to have issues plus insurance companies charge low income families higher rates due to lack of proper insurance, lack of credit, frequent changing of policies due to cars added/dropped, etc. . And don't even get me started on medical expenses...as I would have all kinds of people on back due to political issues!

The fact is ...it costs more to try to move up in this world if you are a low income family.

On a more personal note...my first cell phone allowed me to leave the house...PERIOD! With my husbands disability 10+ years ago, when I first started working outside the house, he NEEDED to be able to contact me 24/7 for medical reasons. Without a cell phone (which was used just for emergencies) I would not have been able to leave him home alone, or with our children. As my hectic schedule increased and our children became teens (and as our budget increased) we added phones as we could. Sending kids away to college with a phone to call home any time they wanted was a luxury we choose to add to our family budget instead of TV, family vacations, or other normal family expenses. (Never did it become a choice of having FOOD on the table or paying my cell phone bill! Because over the years, our cell phones have been suspended for a week or a month here and there due to an unexpected expense that was more important! FOOD IS MORE IMPORTANT!) My belief: Don't judge a person for their choices until you have been forced to make those same choices. If you don't want to donate your hard earned cash to a food drive or support a food pantry...THEN DON'T! But don't use that as a way to make yourself sound important and spout off your beliefs. When you do that, you just make the struggling families around you feel bad for not trying hard enough. FACT: Roughly 30-35% of families qualify for assistance that they WOULD NEVER apply for! Example: FREE Lunch at school...this is a high percentage of unused support! Many qualify for this service but will never apply because either they don't want their children picked on in school for being low-income, or they are not sure how to complete the paperwork required in receiving this benefit or they are just to PROUD to admit they need help.

Again this is not for pitty, but my Net Income for 2012 was $17,500. This is well below the poverty line for a family of 5. I don't often give of my hard earned cash to non-profit organizations. Not because I don't support their causes, but because it simply is not in my budget! Instead I give my TIME and so do my kids. My current job pays me to work about 26 hours per week. Anyone who knows me and has ever volunteered with me, knows I put it more like 50+ hours a week. WHY ...because I can! My volunteering has allowed others to volunteer, my support makes agencies stronger allowing them to move forward instead of backwards, my volunteering has brought my family together through lessons learned. I have 2 wonderful daughters that have nearly put themselves through college, one graduated with a teaching degree and has married and made a commitment to be a missionary (I couldn't be more pleased, but she is bound to live a live below the poverty line with her family.) and one who will be graduating next spring with a 4 year degree and going on to med school (again I couldn't be more pleased and while one day she will be making great money, she first has to survive these years of living below the poverty line pushing through school.) all on their own because there is no way our family income could support college! I also have 3 children still at home, who go with me to community events, volunteer, and help their neighbor...not because they get paid to do so, but because it is just what WE DO and how WE SURVIVE on our limited budget and living below the poverty line!

HUNGER in America is REAL! Hunger in Ionia and Montcalm Counties is REAL! Your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers could be struggling with HUNGER on a day to day basis and you may never know. Because we all work to SURVIVE on whatever budget we can find. Don't pity us, or feel bad for us, or take food from YOUR Table to FEED US! DO support the programs that are out there to give US a HAND! Donate your left over garden seeds to a neighborhood community garden. Sign the NO KID HUNGRY Pledge. Grow 1 extra plant in your garden that you can use to give fresh produce to a family in your neighborhood that might be struggling to make ends meet. Watch these videos and don't feel sad and depressed that YOU can't HELP...because YOU CAN HELP! Whether you donate, volunteer, or lend your voice to show support...YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY! And if you don't know how...just ask! The Community Food Network is always happy to answer your questions and so are most Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens. There are also great resources online from Feeding America, NoKidHungry.org, and several other groups working to END HUNGER. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem!

Monday, October 7, 2013

CFN Meeting Today!

Community Food Network Meeting

Date and Time: October 7, 2013

1:30pm to 3:00pm

Location: H.O. Steele Educational Building

North 66 between 57 & 44 (10260 S Sheridan Rd., Fenwick, MI 48834)

Committees

Gardens & Pantry Committee:
Awareness & Resource Committee:
Educational Committee:
Harvest Celebration - October 26, 5-8pm
Volunteer Recruitment & Projects:
GET CONNECTED

County-wide Food Drive

Upcoming Events

County-wide Food Drive

October 21st Mini-Drive Kick-Off 4-7pm at the Ionia ISD - pick up supplies, marketing materials, and general info for hosting a mini-drive! (Food Drive Committee Meeting beginning at 7:30pm)

Mini-Drives may take place October 26th through November 22nd!

November 22nd - Collection Day at the ISD from 8am-6pm

November 23rd - Food Pantry Pick Up Day

The next meeting will be the on November 4th at 1:30 pm at the H.O. Steele Educational Building?

Click here for a printable copy of this agenda.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

School Garden Grant!

School Gardens
Planting the Seeds for Fresh Learning

Whole Kids Foundation created the School Garden Grant Program in partnership with FoodCorps to provide a $2,000 monetary grant to fund school gardens and related activities.

Since 2011, we have raised more than $3 million and funded gardening projects at more than 1,500 schools. Check out the online map to see where we have awarded grants.
2013–2014 School Garden Grants

We are currently accepting applications! The current application window will be open from September 1 – October 31, 2013.
Recipients announced: Spring 2014
How to Apply

The application is conducted online and is a two-phase process:
1.Phase I: Applicants submit school and/or organization information and a small set of questions to determine the school garden’s eligibility.
2.Phase II: Within a couple of weeks, applicants will be notified of their eligibility to move onto Phase II and submit a full application.

All Applicants will be notified by email when decisions have been made, beginningMarch 2014. Grant checks will be mailed in the following months.

Need help getting started? Consult our Garden Grant Writing Tips compiled by previous FoodCorps fellows and 2013 grant reviewers. The free online School Resource Center (Download: School Gardening Guide) are also useful.

Questions? Review our FAQ's or e mail us to learn more!

Apply NOW
Seeds of hope can sprout up anywhere!

We have funded successful school garden programs in a variety of settings: urban or rural, indoors or out, in the windowsill, on the wall or in the schoolyard. No matter where you plant them, gardens help kids understand that food doesn’t come from a can or a box—but from the magic of a seed.
The Latest Buzz: Honey Bee Grant Program

We’re in the process of developing a grant program that will bring beehives to school gardens in the future. Please read our Honey Bee FAQ for more information. If your school has interest in hosting a beehive, please email us.

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