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What do you want to do now?  What action feels meaningful to you?
Where do you want to make an impact? What will be the personal cost of that impact?

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Find a partner to do this work with.  Read, stop, think, and talk together.
What are you learning about hunger?
What information is challenging what you think you already know?
What questions do you have?
What call to action is in your heart?

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What is this data telling you about hunger?  Who does it effect?  What impact does geography have on hunger?

Jot your thoughts, any answers to questions you had, and any new wonders.

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What do you think you already know? What questions do you have about hunger? Stop to jot questions before, during (make sure to pause the video), and after watching

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Read more about Beatrice

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Worldbuilders is a charity that raises money for Heifer International. You may donate to the Worldbuilders Team Heifer page here: http://www.worldbuilders.org/

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Minnie's Food Pantry

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Barrington IL Food Pantries | Barrington Illinois Food Pantries, Food Banks, Soup Kitchens

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Barrington IL Food pantries and food banks. We have the list of all food pantries in Barrington

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This Giving Tuesday, thanks to a group of generous donors, every $1 you give equals $4 to feed hungry families.

Since 1944, Heifer has provided farming families around the world with the tools and resources they need to thrive.

This Giving Tuesday, thanks to a group of generous donors, your monthly donations will be matched for your entire first year.

Since 1944, Heifer has provided farming families around the world with the tools and resources they need to thrive.

Local Solutions,
Global Impact

We partner with smallholder farmers - especially women farmers - to improve their families' food security and increase their incomes.

We offer tools, training and resources that help farmers work together to build profitable, sustainable businesses with strong market linkages.
MORE ABOUT OUR WORK

The Power of Partnerships

Heifer is partnership-driven in the countries where we work - with farmer groups, businesses, governments and more - to scale impact and strengthen local ownership.

We offer a variety of ways to partner with us to improve the lives of farming families.
PARTNER WITH HEIFER

All gifts given by 11:59 PM CST 11/28/23 will be matched up to $1,700,000. One time gifts will be quadruple matched: every dollar you give will be matched with $3 for four times the impact. Monthly gifts will be matched for your entire first year. Gifts received until the match has been met will be used where needed most.

Heifer International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity registered in the US under EIN: 35-1019477.

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Heifer International | Ending Poverty and Caring for the Earth

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Heifer International is a development organization working to end hunger and poverty around the world by providing livestock and training to struggling communities.

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For Volunteer inquiries, please contact Feed My Starving Children directly at
https://www.fmsc.org/get-involved/volunteer-info or call 763-504-2919

Feed My Starving Children is a member of Global Impact's charity alliance.

Volunteers hand pack scientifically formulated meals for undernourished children, which are distributed to a network of 80+ partners in 60+ countries each.

Visit Feed My Starving Children directly to make a donation or learn more about their volunteer opportunities.

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For Volunteer inquiries, please contact Feed My Starving Children directly athttps://www.fmsc.org/get-involved/volunteer-info or call 763-504-2919Feed My Starving Children is a member of Global Impact's charity alliance.Volunteers hand pack scientifically formulated meals for undernourished children, which are distributed to a network of 80+ partners in 60+ countries each.

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If you want to donate to fight hunger, remember that it's always best to check what local food banks need. (Many food banks have wish lists on their websites.) You don't want to burden food banks with goods that take up space and aren't a good fit.

When Spreading Salam, a group created to help kids help others, first started sharing food with those in need, they were politely told that what they were offering was not the right choice. "Initially we were giving granola bars, apples and a sandwich with some water," says Toronto mom Salma Syed. "But we found out a lot of people downtown don't have a full set of teeth, which makes it difficult to chew on something hard like an apple or granola bar. So they told us: 'We won't be able to take this.'" Now the group brings soft sandwiches like egg salad or tuna, and in the winter, soups and chili.

Keep in mind that many food bank clients struggle with health issues like diabetes, so high-fibre, low-sugar, whole-grain fresh foods are better than high-sodium or processed foods, whenever possible.

What food banks need
It's best to check your local food bank to get area-specific recommendations (for example, are apples welcome or problematic?), but here's a general list of items that most food banks need:

Healthy cereals and oatmeal

Bags of potatoes or apples

Kids' snack items (juice boxes, individual applesauces, etc.)

Toilet paper

Diapers and wipes

Jars and pouches of baby food

Personal hygiene products, like sanitary pads

Toiletries like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, lip balm

Dry pasta

Jars of pasta sauce

Canned fish and meat (salmon, tuna, ham, turkey-pop-top cans are best)

Canned vegetables and fruit

Milk (fresh, canned, or powdered)

Peanut butter

Canned beans

Sliced bread

Canned and dry soups

Baking mixes that require only water

Spices

A version of this article appeared in our December 2016 issue, titled "What do food banks really need?," pg. 73. Read more:
Kid volunteers: Raising children who give back
5 books to teach your kids about privilege and socioeconomic differences 17 holiday gifts that give back

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Food banks: What they need, what they don't

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If you want to donate to fight hunger, remember that it's always best to check what local food banks need. (Many food banks have wish lists on their websites.) You don't want to burden food banks with goods that take up space and aren't a good fit.

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Heather's Story by No Kid Hungry on Exposure

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This summer I've had the pleasure of visiting several communities that are working hard to provide free meals to their kids. Last week at a small church just 40 minutes south of Little Rock, Arkansas, I met a woman named Heather.

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Janel was raised to mistrust "the system" - government, banks, schools, etc. Her family lived in isolation and moved frequently throughout Nebraska and Colorado. She was homeschooled through 8 th grade because her family didn't encourage a need for education beyond that point.

At age 20, Janel had her own cleaning business and moved out on her own. The next year, she married and soon after they began a family. She grew up believing that within a marriage, her primary role would be as a supportive wife and mother. She proudly embraced her part and willingly gave up her cleaning business while her husband worked to provide for their household. As their family grew, it was harder to make ends meet on one income. Her husband also began to face health issues, which limited the hours he was able to work.

About six years ago, shortly after moving back to Colorado, Janel learned about the Food Bank. By that time, their family had grown to eight. "A friend told me the Food Bank provided fresh fruit, so I decided to give it a try." Since that first day, Janel has been a guest of the Food Bank's Food Share program every week.

"Growing up in such isolation and being taught to mistrust the outside world, I was very moved that there was a place that would offer this kind of help to me and my family. The quality of the food provided is amazing, we love the fresh produce, the brown rice and the whole grains. I'm so inspired by the volunteers who give their own time to help. It feels good to know my family and I are not alone and that there are people who care."

After dedicating her adult life to raising her children, she's starting to think about what's next for her. Janel's youngest child is now eight years old. Her 18-year-old will graduate in the spring with a high school diploma and an associate's degree after attending a concurrent enrollment program through CECFC, and her 16-year-old has entered the same program this year.

"As I continue to learn, grow, and put the past behind me, I look forward to the doors God will open for me, my husband, and our children. When I think about where we are today and where my kids are going, I am so grateful to those who support the Food Bank and help provide food for my family. They truly have been the hands and feet of Jesus to me!"

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Stories of Hunger- Food Bank for Larimer County

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Janel was raised to mistrust "the system" - government, banks, schools, etc. Her family lived in isolation and moved frequently throughout Nebraska and Colorado. She was homeschooled through 8 th grade because her family didn't encourage a need for education beyond that point.

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We are a nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs that provides food and services to more than 46 million people each year.

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Photo Credit: United Technologies

Food waste is a growing concern. According to a recent report by the United Nations Environmental Programme, consumers in industrialized countries waste as much as 222 million tons of food annually. To put it in perspective, that is almost equivalent to the net food production of sub-Saharan Africa. Now the residents of the small Spanish town of Galdakao have devised a simple solution to help reverse the trend - a community refrigerator!

Enclosed by a wooden fence, the frigorífico solidario or "solidarity fridge," is situated in the center of the small town. Every morning, individuals, restaurants, and supermarkets stock it with excess cooked food, produce or drinks that are nearing their expiry date. The town's 29,000 residents or even those living in nearby areas can browse through the offerings and take whatever they need.

Solidarity fridge (Photo Credit pintxo via twitter)

To ensure the food is safe to consume, raw fish, meat, eggs and packaged or canned goods past their expiry dates are prohibited. Also, though homemade leftovers are welcomed, donors are required to list all the ingredients, and the date it was prepared.

Though volunteers check the refrigerator daily to ensure the food has not expired, they have not had much to worry about. That's because since solidarity fridge was installed about two months ago, the donated food gets consumed the day it arrives.

Image Credit: ThinkProgress.org

Alvaro Saiz and other members of Galdakao's volunteer association which came up with the brilliant idea say they were inspired by similar initiatives undertaken by towns and cities all across Germany.

Though it took the team over a month to get all the necessary permits, it was well worth the effort. Saiz estimates that since the refrigerator was installed about two months ago, they have salvaged between 200 to 300 kg of perfectly good food that would have otherwise been thrown away. What's even more encouraging is that Galdakao's success is spurring other Spanish communities to start similar programs. Saiz says he has even received inquiries from a town in Bolivia!

Free.Go food sharing fridge in Yolo County (Photo Credit: Davisvanguard.org)

Unfortunately, if a recent ruling in Yolo County, California is any indication, the "solidarity fridge" will not be making an appearance in the USA anytime soon. Earlier this year, a group of enterprising students at the University of California, Davis, set up a similar public refrigerator in their front yard to share food. It was a huge success until the county officials deemed it an "illegal" food facility and ordered it be removed. While this is certainly a setback, it is not the end of the world. Simple actions like consuming leftovers, buying just enough, and donating unused safe food to food banks, can make an impact in preventing unnecessary waste too. So be sure to do your part!

Resources: csmonitor.com, theguardian.com,zmescience.com

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How A Single Fridge Is Helping Curb Food Waste In Spain

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Food waste is a growing concern. According to a recent report by the United Nations Environmental Programme, consumers in industrialized countries waste as much as 222 million tons of food annually. To put it in perspective, that is almost equivalent to the net food production of sub-Saharan Africa.

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Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day - from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce to parts of fruits and vegetables that could be eaten or repurposed.

One-third of all food in the United States goes uneaten. EPA estimates that in 2019, about 96 percent of households' wasted food ended up in landfills, combustion facilities, or down the drain to the sewer system. The remainder was composted.

Preventing food from going to waste is one of the easiest and most powerful actions you can take to save money and lower your climate change footprint by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conserving natural resources.
On this page:

Save money by buying only what you need, eating what you buy, and avoiding throwing away food. The average family of four spends $1,500 each year on food that ends up uneaten.

Reduce your environmental and climate change footprint.

Conserve resources and energy. When food is wasted, the land, water, energy, and other inputs that are used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, storing, and disposing the food are wasted as well.

More than 85 percent of GHG emissions from landfilled food waste result from activities prior to food entering a landfill, including the production, transport, processing, and distribution of food. Plus, when food decomposes in a landfill, methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is emitted-and food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States

Ways to Prevent Wasted Food at Home

Planning, prepping, and storing food can help your household waste less food. Below are some tips to help you do just that:

Making a list with weekly meals in mind can save you money and time. If you only buy what you expect to use, you will be more likely to keep it fresh and use it all.

Keep a running list of meals and their ingredients that your household already enjoys - that way, you can easily choose, shop for, and prepare meals that you are likely to consume.

Look in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry first to avoid buying food you already have. Make a list each week of what needs to be used up and plan upcoming meals around it.

Plan your meals for the week before you go shopping and buy only the things needed for those meals.

Make your shopping list based on how many meals you'll eat at home. Consider how often you will eat out, if you plan to eat frozen precooked meals, and if you will eat leftovers for any of your meals.

Include quantities on your shopping list noting how many meals you'll make with each item to avoid overbuying. For example: "salad greens - enough for two lunches".

Buying in large quantities (e.g., buy one, get one free deals) only saves money if you use all the food before it spoils.

Buying food from bulk bins can save you money and reduce food waste and packaging as you can purchase the amount of food you need as opposed to a pre-determined amount. When buying in bulk, remember to store food properly in airtight, labeled containers.

Purchase imperfect produce or upcycled products. Imperfect produce may have physical imperfections but is just as safe and nutritious and can sometimes be found at discounted prices. Upcycled products are made from ingredients that might have otherwise gone to waste.

Toolkit for Your Home and Your Community

The Food: Too Good to Waste Toolkit will help you figure out how much food is really going to waste in your home and what you can do to waste less. By making small shifts in how you shop for, prepare, and store food, you can save time and money. It can also keep the valuable resources used to produce and distribute food from going to waste!

Food: Too Good to Waste also contains an Implementation Guide that is designed to teach local governments and community organizations how to implement a Food: Too Good to Waste campaign in their community using the Toolkit.

If You Can't Reduce Wasted Food, Divert It From Landfills

Resources

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):
Information for Consumers
Infographic- Easy Steps to Prevent Food Waste ( English, Chinese, Spanish)
Video - Tips to Reduce Food Waste at Home
Video- Plan Ahead to Reduce Food Waste ( English, Spanish)

Video- Serve Smart to Reduce Food Waste ( English, Spanish)

Video- Love Your Leftovers to Reduce Food Waste ( English, Spanish)
MyPlate- Meal Planning Refrigeration and Food Safety FoodKeeper App
U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA):
How to Cut Food Waste and Maintain Food Safety
Date Labels on Packaged Foods & Infographic

Tips to Reduce Food Waste (including three infographics)
Food Waste Facts Infographic Animated Videos with Information on:

Tips to reduce food waste

Understanding date labels on packaged foods

The impact of food waste

Imperfect produce

Sources

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Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day - from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce to parts of fruits and vegetables that could be eaten or repurposed. One-third of all food in the United States goes uneaten.

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The story of hungry takes place in schools, playgrounds and houses across the United States and the No Kid Hungry campaign is working to rewrite it. In schools, more kids are getting breakfast, raising math test scores 17.5% where kids are accessing them.

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Today's Wonder of the Day take a closer look at a problem of global proportions!

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What's wrong with our food system | Birke Baehr | TEDxNextGenerationAsheville

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Lake County pantries that help feed the hungry will gladly accept food donations, but what they need most are monetary donations, volunteers and non-food items.

"Our number 1 need is dollars," said Wendy Warden, founder and director of the Avon Community Food Pantry, which she said served 21,387 residents in Avon Township in 2016.

"Our number 2 need is good consistent volunteers," she said. "And our third need is items like toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent and diapers."

That's also true at COOL Ministries, one of the county's oldest pantries, which is based in Waukegan and Ingleside.

"Winter is the most crucial time for those who need help feeding and caring for their families," COOL Ministries executive director Diane Thackston said.

"We get generous support around the holidays, but this time of year there's nothing (in monetary donations) coming in the mail. And actually this is the hardest time if you're a struggling family," she said.

Thackston said those who work in landscaping, roofing and other seasonal trades sometimes need extra help in the cold months.

More than 50,000 Lake County residents live below the poverty line, and one of every five children is "food insecure," according to the People Lending Assistance Network, PLAN, a food pantry that's been running for 11 years in Round Lake Beach.

Lake County's food pantries have come a long way since COOL opened 35 years ago. Today, many work with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, founded in 1982, which purchases food and sells it to the pantries for much less than what it costs at grocery stores. The bank estimates that for every dollar donated to local food pantries, at least $8 worth of groceries can be purchased.

"Sometimes we can get a whole case of cereal for $5 from the food bank, and you go to the grocery store and $5 might buy you one box of cereal," Thackston said.

"Back in the early days, we had to drive to Chicago to the Greater Chicago Food Depository or take our truck and run to Aldi's or try to cut a deal at the local market," she said, adding that COOL can now purchase food, including vegetables and meats, from the depository.

"People are starting to understand that we can get a lot more if they donate monetarily," Thackston said. "We even accept credit cards."

COOL Ministries spends several thousand dollars a month purchasing food at the bank. But funds aren't just needed to buy food, said Michael Pimpo, a Round Lake resident who founded PLAN.

Food pantries need donations to pay for rental space for stocking items, as well as refrigerators and freezers to store perishables, he said.

"We rent three units and have expenditures over $8,000 per month," he said.

PLAN serves roughly 2,000 families from Round Lake, Grayslake, Lake Villa, Antioch, Fox Lake and Wildwood. According to Pimpo, the pantry not only purchases food from the Northern Illinois Food Bank, but also works with local stores such as Target and Big Lots to obtain diapers, paper goods and other items the food bank does not sell.

"I have worked to create a network of local businesses that donate items we need," Pimpo said.

At many of the county's food banks, including those run at local townships, clients sign a document indicating their income level or that they are in need. They then can come once a month to obtain a box of food that contains perishable and non-perishable items, including canned goods, juice, vegetables, cereal, pasta, rice, fresh fruit, bread and other items. They're also offered treats such as cookies and chips, and can come in daily for donated food with short shelf-lives.
Help wanted
Picking up, storing and organizing the food and other items requires help from volunteers, Warden said, adding that, "We always need people to stock items, work in the warehouse, people who can lift heavy items and drive the trucks."

On a recent Thursday, the Northern Illinois Food Bank delivered three pallets of purchased food to PLAN. Volunteers opened the pallets, sorted the food and placed them in boxes and refrigerators and freezers.

Howard Eiserman of Round Lake has visited PLAN to obtain food over the years, and occasionally still needs a few items including bread, he said. Now he volunteers two or three times a week helping pack boxes to give to clients.

"I came in here to pitch in," Eiserman said. "That's how it should work."

Dennyse Sanchez of Round Lake, also a volunteer, spends many hours organizing paper products, over-the-counter-medicines and diapers. She said she enjoys helping people and listening to their stories. She met an 80-year-old man who lost his wife and needed someone to talk to.

"Now he has a lady friend," she said. "They're so cute together."

Food pantry volunteers experience a range of emotions, Warden said.

"You feel so good you are able to help," she said. "It's almost like a high. People are happy they get fresh broccoli and we could give them beef."

But some volunteers say they see clients taking more than their fair share, she said.

"We cannot ask them (the clients) for a pay stub," she said. "If they sign that paper (saying they need food), we take them at face value. It's not our job to police them."

Warden said if the food pantries didn't exist, "A lot of people would be hungry; really hungry."

Said Thackston, "It doesn't take a whole lot to donate a few groceries or write a small check. There are people who faithfully send in $10 or $20 every couple of months. It makes a big difference. When we have extra, we should help others."
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun

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Food pantries need volunteers and dollars, especially in winter

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Lake County pantries that help feed the hungry will gladly accept food donations, but what they need most are monetary donations, volunteers and non-food items. "Our number 1 need is dollars," said Wendy Warden, founder and director of the Avon Community Food Pantry, which she said served 21,387 residents in Avon Township in 2016.

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Data gathered by humanitarian organization, World Food Programme, indicates that every year over 847 million people worldwide, suffer from malnutrition and about 3.1 million children under the age of five, die from starvation. While eradicating world hunger is a top priority for both scientists and philanthropists, given the increasing global population and dwindling natural resources, it is not easy. But thanks to new innovations like the recently introduced 'LivingBox', there may be some hope.

The brainchild of Israeli entrepreneurs and scientists, Nitzan Solan and Moti Cohen, LivingBox is an environmentally friendly urban-ecosystem made from modular boxes that connect to form a hydroponics mini-farm. This means that the vegetables are grown in nutrient-infused water, instead of soil.

While professional farmers have been doing that for years, LivingBox is the first system built to extract nutrients from common household refuse: fish waste, leftover food, or even animal dung. Better yet, it can run without electricity and requires no farming skills to maintain. This means that urban shanty dwellers who may otherwise have no access to healthy produce, can use LivingBox to grow fresh vegetables.

The setup is easy - All aspiring farmers have to do, is unpack the modular boxes, fill them with fresh water and add the required seeds. As soon as they they add one or all three types of organic waste, the system will self-generate the nitrogen needed for the plants to take root.

Those that use 'fish-waste', have a dual advantage - they can cultivate both fish and vegetables at the same time! The animals provide the waste needed for the plants to thrive, while the plants naturally filter the water and help maintain a clean home for the fish! Those using food scraps or waste as fertilizer, have to place the decomposing matter into a separate attachment that automatically transports the 'bio-gas' released to the plant bed, to help nourish the vegetables.

Once the vegetables are ready to pick, the farmer simply harvests the crop and begins the cycle all over again, with fresh water, seeds, organic waste and even fish - if the ones in the LivingBox have grown big enough to consume. While the 15-square foot box yields enough vegetables to feed a family of four, LivingBox can be easily extended with additional modules to create larger farms.

The one thing that could hinder LivingBox from becoming a viable solution for third-world countries is the cost, which has yet to be determined. However, the entrepreneurs who plan to test the system with several non-profit organizations later this year, have promised to keep it affordable, so that their target customer base - poor urban dwellers in developing countries can also have access to something that many of us take for granted - nutritious food!

Resources:timesofisrael.com,isracast.com, wfp.org

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Can 'Mini-Farms' Help Solve World Hunger?

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Data gathered by humanitarian organization, World Food Programme, indicates that every year over 847 million people worldwide, suffer from malnutrition and about 3.1 million children under the age of five, die from starvation. While eradicating world hunger is a top priority for both scientists and philanthropists, given the increasing global population and dwindling natural resources, it is not easy.

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Photo Credit: FoodBev.com

On January 13, 2016, France became the first country in the world to pass a law requiring supermarkets to donate food that is approaching its expiration date instead of throwing it away. The regulation that applies to supermarkets over 4,000 square feet requires stores to sign donation contracts with local food banks.

Photo Credit: saynotofoodwaste.org

The law also makes it illegal for stores to pour bleach or water over nearly expired food, or store it inside locked warehouses until it is picked up by garbage trucks. These extreme measures are often undertaken by supermarkets to prevent the hungry from foraging through the trash bins.

Though that may appear cruel, the stores claim they do it to avoid potential food poisoning that could occur if the product is way past its expiry. Supermarkets that do not obey the new law face the risk of hefty fines.

Also, manufacturers producing perishable private label products like yogurt or milk for supermarkets, are now allowed to donate excess goods directly to the food banks. Though they have always been able to do that, the current process is long and complicated, making it difficult for manufacturers to give away the food in a timely manner.

The law also requires the charities receiving the donations to store the food in a hygienic manner and, more importantly, give it out with 'dignity.' This means that they should distribute it to people in need from a food bank or center where they can interact with them, instead of just handing it out on the streets.

Photo Credit: Weforum.org

France's food banks are of course thrilled about the possibility of receiving extra food, especially scarce perishables like meat, vegetables, and fruit. Jacques Bailet, who heads a network of French food banks called the Banques Alimentaires, says that of the 110,000 tons of goods received annually, only 36,000 tons comes from supermarkets. Bailet estimates that just a 15% increase in supermarket donations would translate to over 10 million additional meals to feed the hungry each year.

Though this is a great first step, Arash Dermabarsh, the activist responsible for the grassroots movement that led to the ban, is not done. He now wants to extend the law to other sectors like restaurants, bakeries, and school cafeterias and also try to convince other countries in the European Union to pass similar regulations. These steps are necessary because of the over 9 million tons of food wasted in France, an astounding 67% is tossed out by consumers, with supermarkets and restaurants making up the rest.

Photo Credit: WRI.org

Sadly enough, the statistics are similar in industrialized countries as well. That is why we all need to do our share to curb the over 1.3 billion tons of perfectly good food that ends up in our landfills annually! This will not just help feed the less fortunate, but also aid in our fight against global warming. An added bonus? It will save the world billions of dollars!

Resources: Guardian.co.uk, independent.co.uk

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France Becomes The First Country In The World To Ban Supermarket Food Waste

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On January 13, 2016, France became the first country in the world to pass a law requiring supermarkets to donate food that is approaching its expiration date instead of throwing it away. The regulation that applies to supermarkets over 4,000 square feet requires stores to sign donation contracts with local food banks.

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Stop wasting food: Selina Juul at TEDxCopenhagen 2012