Happy National Peanut Butter Day!

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

Yes, there really is a day devoted to that protein-packed, shelf-stable, kid-friendly food pantry favorite. But why bother posting on The Hunger Forum about it?

Well, because National Peanut Butter Day made it into many publications today including The Huffington Post, the New York Daily News and the Food Network. It even became a trending topic on Twitter. And when a story gets that kind of coverage, that often means you can get some local coverage as well because the local news media likes to tie stories to national news when appropriate.

In this instance, you could send out a short press release suggesting that on this day of national celebration that people consider donating a jar of peanut butter to your food pantry for precisely the reasons listed above – it is an item in high demand, particularly this time of year when donations are starting to dwindle. Once the news camera or reporter arrives, you can elaborate by discussing the current level of need and the trends you are seeing. Use the peanut butter as a hook, then give them the real story.

If you were ahead of the game and received some coverage today, please share your experience with our readers! This is an easy and effective way to drive the media to your food bank and get some coverage — beyond just peanut butter.

 

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Hot Topics for 2012 Food Security Summit

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

Last week, the Oregon Food Bank participated in the 2012 Food Security Summit hosted by Oregon State University. The offerings were particularly well-rounded and inspirational. If you have a moment, take a look at their summit agenda.

The summit was a joint effort of the Oregon Hunger Task Force, Partners for a Hunger Free Oregon, Oregon Food Bank and OSU. Mark Edwards, associate professor of sociology at OSU, helped organize the event. He said this summit is unusual in that it brings together not only anti-hunger activists but also students, educators, agency leaders and others who have a stake in food security.

The summit topics were grouped under three sessions, leading off with a discussion of understanding hunger and its impact on individuals and communities.

  1. Increasing economic stability for people, communities and the state
  2. Cultivating a strong regional food system
  3. Strengthening the food assistance safety net

We were especially interested in the following:

  • a workshop that focused on how the recession molded characteristics of the “new poor” and the implications of those trends at both urban and rural levels
  • the relationship between affordable housing, hunger and economic security
  • the challenges Oregon farmers markets are facing building community food security
  • supporting healthy corner stores and rural grocers

Is your organization hosting a summit or conference this winter? What topics are you planning to introduce?

 

 

 

 

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New Year, Familiar Sights

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

With states and federal governments slashing budgets and hunger on the rise in 2012, staying connected and sharing ideas is more important than ever. What trends are you seeing? There was a report on Bloomberg today about the rise in “white collar workers” in line at food banks.

Today is also the Food Bank For New York City’s Annual Agency Conference, now in its 20th year, and they’ve got some interesting topics on the docket we’d like to share with you to get you inspired.

  1. Raise money in new ways! Understand how social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can help you get more community support, from donations to volunteers.
  2. Shorten your pantry line! Learn advanced techniques to engage clients about food stamps and successful referral systems.
  3. Share your expertise! Discuss with your peers best practices for serving shifting demographic populations. Join a discussion group for eldery, working clients or children.

What ideas do you have for any of the above topics? What trends are you anticipating for 2012?

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Mobile Food Pantries – for Kids!

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

One of our readers wrote in with a great question. “I live in a rural area of southwestern Florida, “he writes, “[and] my concern is for access to meals during the summer for school age children. I have been exploring the possibility of partnering with local churches to host a Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) site. While I intend to continue pursuing the SFSP site, I recognize that transportation is also a problem for rural families. To that end, I’ve thought about the possibility of a mobile SFSP site. Is there resource that you could refer me to that may help me?”

We’ve written in the past about mobile food pantries but does anyone have experience with developing one specifically to work with the USDA’S Summer Food Service Program? Suggestions and comments are welcome. Thank you!

Posted in Childhood Nutrition, Mobile Food Pantries | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Happy Holidays from the Director of The Hunger Forum

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

While this time of year has kept me too busy to write, it certainly hasn’t kept viewers too busy to read — and for that, I am grateful!

Readership of The Hunger Forum continues to climb at a steady pace. The site achieves record numbers of viewers on days when I least expect it and I receive emails from people from all over the country asking for more information on a variety of topics. It is exciting to see The Hunger Forum develop as the platform for conversation that it was conceived to be.

I work full time as a communications manager at a hunger relief agency in Washington and currently I maintain the site in my spare time. The idea for the site came to me about two years ago when I realized there wasn’t one central place on the internet where different hunger relief groups could share their experience and learn from one another. You have the answers; my speciality is connecting people and ideas. I think that together, we can create an environment where resources and ideas are shared freely and I welcome your participation.

I look forward to further growth in 2012!

-Claire Acey
Director, The Hunger Forum

 

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Fund Raising Events for Food Pantries

Posted on November 18, 2011 by

Sometimes the best way to raise funds for your food bank is with an event that brings all ages together and involves them in your mission. Not only is your program financially supported, but you get the added benefit of increasing awareness of your work. And food pantries of any size can pull this off – no big gala required!

Case in point: the Rainier Valley Food Bank in Seattle. As they say, “We are a small facility with a big responsibility.” Their staff of three manages to provide groceries for close to 11,000 people a month (with the help of volunteers).

Last night, they hosted their family-friendly 4th Annual Cookie Decorating Party at a popular local food spot, Geraldine’s Counter. With the help of some event sponsors, they provided a mac and cheese buffet dinner, cookies to decorate and take home, hand-made aprons, and a raffle with prizes donated by several local artists and merchants. They also incorporated a little food drive by offering a prize for the guest who brought in the most non-perishable food. Tickets cost a mere $25 per person and they usually sell out quickly.

They clearly know their community well and this event targets those members specifically. In that sense, it’s manageable and local. And the ticket price is affordable for most budgets. We can’t wait to hear how it went!

Posted in Fundraising, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Truck Driving School Delivers for Food Pantries

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

Here’s something you already know: transportation is one of the biggest challenges for food banks and pantries. But here’s a solution you may not have considered – partnering with a truck driving school to give their students hands-on training hauling loads at little to no cost to you.

Several food banks and distributors across the country are already engaged in such partnerships. Northwest Harvest in Washington works with Bates Technical College and Stallion Transportation Group hauls for the Arkansas Food Bank. The Diesel Driving Academy in Little Rock partnered with the AFB this year to transport food from the food bank’s Little Rock location to its branch in Warren for free. The student drivers receive practice hauling live loads while the food banks reaps a huge savings — food bank marketing and communications director Ray White estimates that savings at $12,000 to date.

Don’t need a whole semi-truck hauled? Perhaps you can apply this same idea at a smaller scale. Have any of you ever worked with local delivery companies to create a similar partnership?

Posted in Transportation and Storage | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ideas for Holiday Fundraising

Posted on November 7, 2011 by

This is the time of year when everyone starts to remember that people are going hungry. Are you making the most of it?

Here’s an idea to share. The MidSouth Food Bank has commissioned a holiday card (cover design below) designed by Eddie Tucker, and sells them for $10 each. They sign and mail each card for the donor who purchases them.

Ever thought about how a community scavenger hunt could stock your shelves? Have participants hunt for foods from a list of most-needed items for your food pantry (and with the rising cost of peanut butter you might want to consider including that item on your list). This event has the potential to really spread the word about your organization — and it’s also a lot of fun, particularly if you involve kids. It’s even a great team-building opportunity for a variety of groups ranging from a religious congregation to a multi-departmental corporation.

One last suggestion, speaking of peanut butter - Northwest Harvest recently received a donation of over 1,700 jars of peanut butter thanks to a creative idea that came from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center. Their new recruits competed in teams to see who could bring in the most peanut butter. Northwest Harvest was thrilled with the donation of a shelf-stable protein item that is in high demand.

Got any ideas to pass along to our readers?

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Using Video to Promote Food Bank Programs

Posted on November 4, 2011 by

Today we watched a terrific video created by End Hunger in Calvert County. Two things we really liked: the interviews with people using food banks (or pantries) and the way the video showcased the non-profit’s partnerships with the business community. This video would be great to show to the business community at large as an example of how creative partnerships can be.

Heres another approach from the Food Bank of South Jersey. They created a video about their remote food distribution program, the Hope Mobile. The program uses a semitruck to deliver wholesome food to families at remote locations. This video is not only educational but instructional as well — if you’re thinking about starting a similar program, this is a good place to start.

Do you have a video to share? Send us a link — we’re happy to promote it!

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Using Video to Communicate

Posted on October 4, 2011 by

Video is one of the most versatile, effective ways to get your message across, but too many programs are afraid to use it. Today, we add another feature to our ongoing Social Media Tutorial describing how to use video for your program.

Are you currently using video? Send us a link to your best project and we’ll share it with Hunger Forum readers!

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