In a zoom meeting last week, three human rights groups offered their perspective on the charitable food banking system and its impact on the world’s food-insecure population. Citing a data point that is likely familiar to anyone working in hunger relief, the groups noted that food insecurity continues to persist…
Food Bank News
For many food pantries, language barriers are a common obstacle to serving a diverse client base. One food pantry in the Chicago area is taking advantage of two distinct technologies to help non-English speakers navigate the pantry, whether they are accessing it online or in person. The West Suburban Community…
There are many ways for food banks to be active in advocacy. Chief among them are regularly communicating with members of Congress and state governments about anti-hunger legislation, as well as engaging the media and partner organizations on policy issues. The Food Bank News Advocacy Honor Roll looks strictly at…
New York City-based WhyHunger has always had an atypical way of addressing hunger, and now it has a new Executive Director to carry out that approach. Jenique Jones became the nonprofit’s leader over the summer, taking the place of Noreen Springstead who spent a 30-year career at WhyHunger before becoming…
Driving to a ballgame five years ago, Mark Kleinschmidt, CEO of Healthy Harvest Food Bank, turned to his then 12-year-old son and asked, “What can I do in my job that’ll get you to do what I do without making you do what I do?” Kleinschmidt’s son pondered for a…
In a recent report about food insecurity in its region, Capital Area Food Bank took the additional bold step of identifying four broad fixes to food insecurity, putting forth a viable blueprint for other food banks in the country. As in much of the nation, food insecurity in the capital…
In a recent video, the head of a healthcare foundation articulated why partnerships between healthcare providers and hunger relief organizations can be so challenging, despite the growing mounds of evidence that a food-secure population leads to improved public health. John Lumpkin, M.D., M.P.H., president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield…
A series of small changes has enabled Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County to whittle away waste in its operations, making it the first food bank in the world to be certified for its sustainability efforts. The food bank has received a TRUE certification for zero waste, signifying that…
While many food banks help clients sign up for SNAP, fewer are equipped to also help them apply for other benefits like Medicaid, and fewer still take steps to ensure clients are putting their monthly benefits to proper use. Freestore Foodbank of Cincinnati is taking on that role by acting…