Subscribe
Previous Post
Could you live on a diet of donated cookies, pumpkin pie filling, and expired condensed milk? Neither can the hundreds of thousands of homeless and needy individuals and families in our country. And yet, the prevailing mentality in America is that any food should be good enough for those in need. When we donate to canned food drives, we’re encouraged to clean out our own cupboards of old food–without regard for which items provide the best nutrition for those who need it most. The homeless need better than our canned food castoffs; thankfully, there are other ways to help.
It may seem ungrateful to bemoan donations that come from someone else’s kitchen cupboard, but the fact is: those in need are kept unhealthy by inexpensive, nutritionally-devoid food, making it even harder to get back on their feet. Unhealthy food may be better than hunger, but when it causes or encourages disease, is it, really?
Many who are homeless or below the poverty line are forced to rely on the kindness of others and government assistance–but rarely do good Samaritans, or federal and state programs, focus on the quality of the food being given. Fast food restaurants accept food stamps, free and reduced school lunches are high in sodium, sugar and fat and low on real vegetables, and most of the meals served at homeless shelters are full of refined carbohydrates and not much else. Eating like this can lead to greater instances of diabetes and hypertension–which, when coupled with addiction and/or poor living conditions, can be fatal.
I used to work at a shelter for families in crisis, and I can’t tell you how many children told me that their favorite vegetables were “potatoes and pickles,” because they’d grown up eating McDonald’s. Despite being malnourished, they were overweight. Later on down the line, it’s likely they will develop health problems that will be expensive to treat–keeping them in poverty.
Thankfully, not everyone is content with the “any food is good food” mantra. Chef Gina Keatley (pictured above) was once homeless herself, but now she’s a celebrated philanthropist and the founder of Nourishing NYC, an organization that serves health-conscious, balanced meals to the homeless of New York, and works to educate both those in need and those with means to help them about the nutritional needs of those who are struggling with poverty and addiction.
My friends told m e great site—please check my name—. They told me it is the best place to seek casual fun and short-term relationship. I have tried. It is fantastic! Tens of thousands pretty girls and handsome guys are active there. You wanna get laid tonight? Come in and give it a shot, you will find someone you like there. Have fun! S_S
I work with an organization called Community Food Initiatives, and one of our largest programs is running a donation station at the local farmer’s market. At the donation station, shoppers can donate cash or healthy produce, bread, meat, cheese or eggs they’ve bought at the market, and farmers can donate surplus.
Then, we take the cash donations, spend all of it at the farmer’s market–and the farmer’s give us a break on the prices, oftentimes, and THEN, we take all of the food and distribute it to food pantries, homeless shelters, women’s shelters, children’s services and other organizations that assist those who need food. This way, everyone wins.
If you want to make a quick impact on getting healthy food to those in need, copy our donation station at your local farmer’s market. The results are amazing.
Gina is an inspiration! Thank you for sharing. I’ll do the same!
I completely agree with this post. The number one thing that everyone needs is a healthy foundation. You simply can’t create that by eating boxed ‘macaroni and cheese’ seven nights a week. People who are in need of food deserve more sustainable meals just like everyone else. I firmly believe that if our society was more educated about real foods, then we would all be healthier and more vibrant.
Yes! I love this… I’ve heard so many people say “oh, I’m trying to eat better so I’ll just donate all my junk food to a shelter” — it’s better than throwing it away, and of course something is better than nothing, but I wish that more people like Gina were out there making it easier to donate something besides non-perishables and junk. Spaghettios do not make a complete meal, especially for someone who hasn’t had one in several days.
This article is spot-on! Meat, dairy, & produce are needed more than anything.