Offering culturally familiar meals to immigrant populations has been expensive, operationally challenging, and not always in line with client expectations. Even so, Open Arms of Minneapolis is fully committed to continuing to serve the meals. “There has to be an organizational commitment where you just say, ‘Yep, we’re gonna do…
Food Bank News
GUEST OPINION BY DR. MARK BROWN, CEO OF WEST HOUSTON ASSISTANCE MINISTRIES – As of March 4, the U.S. has imposed a 25% tariff on nearly all goods imported from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10% tariff on imports from China. These measures are expected to raise food prices…
For a food bank or pantry, getting into Food is Medicine often raises more questions than answers. Should an organization embrace produce prescriptions, healthy food boxes, or medically tailored meals, to name a few options? What is the best way to work with the managed care organizations that pay for…
When Beacon of Hope of Marshall, N.C., first got into Food is Medicine, it started small, providing food to a handful of clients on a weekly basis. Now it is serving nearly 100 clients, and sees the possibility of serving thousands. The organization’s journey into Food is Medicine paints a…
Food Helpers, a Pa.-based hunger relief organization, has added an extra dimension to its school snack program through an online character known as LittleMoochi. LittleMoochi is a downloadable app that encourages kids to pay attention to the nutritional content of their food. Through the app, kids “adopt” a LittleMoochi character,…
Food banks are keeping calm and carrying on amid uncertainty around directives from the new administration that could threaten federal hunger relief programs. The federal government foots the funding for a host of feeding programs, including TEFAP to provide food to food banks; SNAP, the behemoth nationwide nutrition assistance program;…
There has always been an undercurrent of anxiety among undocumented populations seeking food assistance. Food Bank News noted underground food distributions for the undocumented as far back as 2020, when the pandemic pushed the need for assistance to new heights. Now that anxiety has been ratcheted up, as directives from…
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana is expanding a multi-pronged program it developed that aims to lift people out of poverty. A three-year strategic plan, to be initiated this year, will expand the poverty-fighting program into each area of the food bank’s eight-county footprint, one county at a…
Every food bank leader brings their own set of experiences and perspectives to the role. That is especially true for Cathy Kanefsky who came on as CEO of Food Bank of Delaware nearly four years ago, having raised twin sons with autism. “I walked into this place with eyes that…