Author William Lambers

The Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank's Mobile Pantry

The Freestore Foodbank of Cincinnati is distributing relief supplies to tornado devastated communities in the Tri-State area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Last Friday tornadoes ripped through numerous towns, destroying homes and leaving many people with a severe shortage of basic supplies.

The Freestore, a member of the Feeding America network, is using its Kraft Mobile Food Pantry to get supplies to storm victims. The Pantry was in Crittenden, Kentucky on Wednesday bringing food to the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission disaster relief area.

On Friday, March 9th the pantry will be at the Grant Memorial Church in Moscow, Ohio, a town which saw around 80 percent of its homes damaged by the tornadoes. On March 13th the mobile pantry will bring food to Pendleton County storm victims at the Flower Creek Community Center. The Freestore is also helping distribute soap, toothpaste and other personal hygiene items.

Kelloggs is donating a truckload of cereal to the Freestore to use for this relief mission.

You can donate to the Freestore’s tornado relief fund at their web site. Spokesperson Anna Hogan says, “we will split the donated funds between our member agencies in the affected areas to purchase supplies.”

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Tagged as Cincinnati, Freestore Foodbank, tornado relief

March 8, 2012 · 4:12 pm

Will the Hunger Games Match the Rose Bowl Films?

Fans of the novel The Hunger Games are setting up canned good collections to fight global hunger when the film version premieres this month. The Hunger Games is an adventure tale set in the future when North America has gone through drought, famine and war.

The film’s producers at Lionsgate are partnering with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Feeding America.

Hopefully this activism will spread across the country. We know from history that film gatherings can make a difference in fighting hunger.

At the University of Michigan in 1947 an event was set up where students could view films of the Rose Bowl football games. Their admission price was a canned good which would be placed upon the Friendship Train.

The Friendship Train traveled across the United States collecting food for the hungry in Europe after World War II. It was one of the magical happenings that took place in the spirit of the Marshall Plan which saw the rebuilding of a continent from the ruins of war.

The Michigan Daily reported that 10,000 students descended upon area stores buying up canned food. The grocers were practically cleaned out of stock.

So area businesses also benefited from this food drive to help the hungry overseas. One grocer noted that the students made nutritious choices, such as corn.

The Hunger Games has a real opportunity to match this kind of activism, and more so considering that social media provides more ways to organize such an event.

So we will see. Perhaps some of the theaters might even have a showing or two where the admission is a canned good or a one or two dollar donation.

A website has been set up where you can view a video with the stars of the film talking about how you can take action. You can take a quiz and learn more about global hunger. Donations are accepted on the site that will benefit WFP, the largest food aid organization in the world, and Feeding America, which is the leading agency fighting hunger in the United States.

Article first published as Will The Hunger Games Match the Rose Bowl Films? on Blogcritics.

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Filed under global hunger, History

Tagged as Feeding America, movies, The Hunger Games, World Food Programme

March 8, 2012 · 8:20 am

International Women’s Day, Words for Peace and Food for Education

North Andover, Massachusetts where Anne Bradstreet resided (author's collection)

My hometown of Andover, Massachusetts was once a remote outpost in the wilderness, long before there was a bustling Northeast United States. One of the town’s earliest settlers was a wife, mother, and also a writer. Her name was Anne Bradstreet and in 1650 she had a book of poetry published all the way overseas in London.

This was quite an achievement especially when you consider those times. A woman being educated, much less being an author, was not something particularly welcomed.

Carol Majahad of the North Andover Historical Society told me, “It was rare for a woman to be as educated as Anne was in her day.” One of Bradstreet’s poems “gives a good reflection of popular opinion at the time.”

I am obnoxious to each carping tongue
Who says my hand a needle better fits,
A poet’s pen all scorn I should thus wrong,
For such despite they cast on female wits;
If what I do prove well, it won’t advance,
They’l say it’s stol’n, or else it was by chance,

Wendy Martin, in her book An American Triptych, wrote that in Bradstreet’s era, “women who stepped beyond their domestic confines by means of literature, whether by reading or writing, risked being branded as dangerous to themselves and society.”

What if such attitudes had prevented Bradstreet’s work from being published or distributed? Or prevented her from receiving an education in the first place? She might never have become a writer or been published. Her achievement might never have been shared with the world. How many others never got an opportunity?

This is a struggle not unique to Bradstreet’s time. As International Women’s Day arrives, there are women all across the globe who are being deprived of education and opportunities. This may be because of the poverty they live in, but it can also be due to deep-rooted societal beliefs.

Recently I learned of an organization called the Afghan Women’s Writing Project. This was started by novelist Masha Hamilton in order to give Afghan women a voice, one for which they have to struggle.

The first thing I noticed about the Project was that the family names of the Afghan women published on the site had to be concealed. These women must submit their work in secret from their families and friends. The locations of these authors are also kept hidden. Why? There are those in Afghanistan who disapprove of women being educated or telling their story through writing. Their personal information is kept hidden out of fear for their safety.

One of the Afghan women published on the site, Fatima A., writes:

I am from a country that kills girls’ talents,
From a society that doesn’t want women to work outside the house
From trying to teach those people
From knowing that everyone is not and cannot be the person you want them to be.

Another Afghan woman, Shogofa, tells of a meeting with a new friend, writing: “She has taught me that I am bereaved but strong, and that I have the right to talk, to think.”

Another one of the writers, Roya, says in a poem titled “The Cemetery of my Identity”:

There is no world.
I live in the prison
under my burqa
no permission to breathe the air.
I am a woman

Roya also sums up what having a voice through the Afghan Women’s Project means when she says, ”Thanks to God that I have the writing blog now.”

Many women across the globe need a voice, opportunities, and acceptance. If they do not get them, they will not advance and neither will their society.

Two years ago, with the encouragement of the UN World Food Programme office in Washington, D.C., I started a series of interviews profiling school feeding programs in developing countries. One of the constant themes was what food and education can do for girls. When take-home rations are included with these programs, the girls all of a sudden become breadwinners for their families. They become healthier and receive an education.

If you want to support a cause that can change the world, especially for girls, then look no further than school feeding. Yet, the policies of governments around the world have not emphasized this enough.

What can someone do on International Women’s Day? Show your voice of support for those who are struggling to have their own. Write a note of encouragement at the Afghanistan Women’s Writing Project for its authors. Write something on your own website for your readers. Write to your government officials in support of programs that help girls, like school feeding.

If women in Afghanistan can risk everything to write their thoughts and feelings, then certainly others can write these letters of support. If everyone does, it might make International Women’s Day more than just a single-day event, and the start of a new era of hope and opportunity.

article first published as International Women’s Day and the Search for Opportunity, Education and Acceptance on Blogcritics

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Tagged as Afghan Writing Project, Anne Bradstreet, International Women's Day, women's rights

March 7, 2012 · 6:44 am

South Sudan Faces Hunger Emergency

South Sudan is facing a major hunger emergency as drought has ruined food supplies. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) says nearly 5 million people “could suffer from food insecurity in 2012, with an estimated 1 million people severely food-insecure.”

Ahnna Gudmunds, a WFP Sudan officer, says, “Households will face significant difficulty obtaining food during this period. Volatile food supply and poor diets are likely to intensify the severity of the hunger season.”

It gets worse. Conflict in the Jonglei State, the largest in South Sudan, has caused suffering, displacement and even more hunger. Fighting between the Lou Nuer and Murle tribes has escalated in recent months. The two sides have a history of violence. One side kidnaps members of the other or steals cattle, the other side then responds with an attack and the cycle of violence continues.

WFP is feeding about 170,800 people displaced by this conflict. This emergency food aid must be followed by longer term development aid.

Gudmunds explains that Jonglei is “one of the most underdeveloped states with a very poor, and sometimes non-existing, infrastructure. Some of the counties may be accessible by road only for few months a year due to rains.”

WFP is rushing to make sure supplies are in place ahead of these expected rains in April. The international community needs to ensure WFP has enough funding to carry on the relief work. South Sudan, which gained its independence last year, is reeling from war and drought.

There is also no shortage of weapons making the conflict between the Lou Neur and Murle that much more dangerous. Both tribes were armed during the decades long Civil War between the South and North Sudan. That war ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

A report from the Small Arms Survey says, “Despite post-CPA disarmament drives, both groups have remained armed and active. Their ongoing feud is highly suggestive of civil war-era dynamics, exacerbated by post-CPA jockeying for services, power, and influence.”

The government of South Sudan is currently undertaking a campaign to disarm civilians in Jonglei. Most everyone would agree that disarmament is needed. But the question is when this disarmament should take place.

The Enough project warns that the time for disarmament is not right and will undermine the peace process. There needs to be confidence-building, dialogue and humanitarian aid well in process before traveling the disarmament path.

Amanda Hsiao, Enough Project South Sudan field researcher, says, “Without the capacity to simultaneously disarm rival communities, to ensure the security of disarmed communities, and to stop the flow of arms back into the hands of civilians, forcible disarmament at this moment will undermine, rather than facilitate, the government’s efforts toward peace-building in Jonglei.”

Jennifer Christian, Enough Project Sudan policy analyst, adds, “What the people of Jonglei require right now is humanitarian assistance, security, and the establishment of a mechanism through which they may peacefully resolve their grievances with other communities.”

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is focusing a great extent of its peacebuilding in South Sudan on development. For CRS only hope will light the road to peace in Sudan. Peace and development are clearly linked.

Sara Fajardo, a CRS officer says, “Decades of violent conflict have left their mark. We need to provide alternatives to violence by investing in ‘peace dividends’ such as building roads, digging borehole wells, helping to strengthen the health care system, and providing seeds and tools for agriculture to name a few. These are all crucial components in giving people a reason to hope and build a future. ”

CRS is working on these projects in South Sudan as well as reinforcing relief efforts for the displaced. However, funding for these projects is key. CRS, for instance, faced low funding for its school feeding programs in Bor County, Jonglei. These programs came to an end last year.

Also crucial will be ensuring the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has enough resources to help protect civilians. Hilde Johnson, director of the mission, says, “UNMISS has reinforced its presence in key areas of Jonglei State and is conducting continuous air patrols to deter violence.”

It was such air patrols that detected and sounded the alarm of a large force of the Lou Neur readying to attack the Murle in December.

Dialogue, development and disarmament need to take place in South Sudan. Until they do hunger and misery will continue in this impoverished nation. Right now, South Sudan is trapped in a major food crisis, with the future of millions of people hanging in the balance.

Article first published as South Sudan Faces Hunger Emergency on Blogcritics.

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Tagged as Jonglei, South Sudan, Sudan, World Food Programme

March 3, 2012 · 2:45 pm

Matthew 25: Ministries ready to aid Midwest towns leveled by massive storms

The "Doorway to Helping the Needy of the World" located in the Matthew 25: Ministries processing center (photo courtesy Matthew 25: Ministries)

Matthew 25: Ministries, a humanitarian aid agency in Cincinnati, is collecting food, first aid, blankets and other supplies for communities devastated by tornadoes on Friday.

The Tri-State area of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky saw one its most destructive storms in its history. Early reports say at least 17 people have been killed in Indiana and Kentucky by tornadoes.

Large parts of the town of Holton, Indiana have been leveled and fatalities reported according to WLWT news. The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that 80 percent of homes in the town of Moscow, Ohio were damaged.

In Kenton County in Northern Kentucky tornadoes tore through residential areas and caused 3 deaths. The Cincinnati Enquirer also reports that multiple homes were destroyed, trees uprooted and cars and trucks were lifted and thrown by the powerful winds.

Matthew 25: Ministries says it’s working to assess the damage and needs of the victims. For information on how to donate visit their web site at www.m25m.org. Matthew 25 Ministries says it accepts donations of cash or goods for disaster aid and humanitarian relief programs. They also welcome volunteers to their 132,000 square foot facility in Cincinnati.

Update from Matthew 25: Ministries — We expect to begin disaster relief next week for areas in the Tri-state damaged by yesterday’s tornadoes. Matthew 25’s Assessment Team, led by Disaster Relief Coordinator Tim Mettey, will personally deliver initial supplies, identify the most urgent needs, work with partners to establish distribution centers and develop operational templates for ongoing aid. Matthew 25 is currently requesting first response support including monetary donations, non-perishable food, personal care products, cleaning supplies, paper products, baby supplies, and first aid items.

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Tagged as charity, Cincinnati, Matthew 25: Ministries, Ohio, tornadoes

March 2, 2012 · 10:13 pm

Ozarks Food Harvest Ready To Aid Storm Relief Effort

Ozarks Food Harvest collects and distributes more than 1 million pounds of food monthly to a Network of 300 agencies across 28 southwest Missouri counties. (Ozarks Food Harvest)

Storms tore through the Ozarks region of Missouri this week. In Branson, Missouri a tornado struck causing heavy damage. The Ozarks Food Harvest, a member of the Feeding America network, is on standby to provide supplies to storm victims.

The Food Harvest is the leading agency in the area helping feed needy families, the homeless, or those struck by disaster.

Denise Gibson, communications director of the Foodbank says, “we will work through our network of agency partners that reside in each community affected and provide whatever additional assistance they need. We have been in contact with all of them to make sure that they are up and running and to determine how we can be of immediate help.”

You can learn more about the Ozarks Food Harvest at their web site.

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Tagged as Branson, Feeding America, Missouri, storms

March 2, 2012 · 5:07 am

Fighting Hunger in America and the Penny Lunch Tradition

Hunger is on the rise in America. The Conference of Mayors recently reported that 86 percent of surveyed cities have seen increases in the need for emergency food aid. These findings coincide with a United States Department of Agriculture report that 20 percent of children in the United States are hungry.

To turn the tide, we need to rekindle the passion and innovation of those who started the fight to end hunger in America more than a century ago.

In 1908 a Cincinnati school teacher, Ella Walsh, saw that her students were struggling. They looked pale. The students were not getting enough to eat. This obviously had serious health as well as educational repercussions. They could not learn on an empty stomach.

Walsh could see malnutrition before her eyes. But she did not just “file it and forget it.” She took action. She got some cooking materials together, found a room, arranged a table, and started serving what came to be known as the “penny lunch.”

This was one of the first attempts to provide school feeding for children. When the school superintendent stopped by to see Walsh’s program in action, he called it a major breakthrough in solving the “problem of the underfed child.”

And it caught on. A doctor quoted in the Cincinnati Post said the penny lunch programs were “like the measles: started, you cannot stop them.” Educators around the United States and even other countries started penny lunch programs. During the Great Depression, these meals were an ever-so-vital safety net.

Over the years, these early efforts at school feeding were strengthened, and in 1946 Harry Truman signed into law the National School Lunch program. Upon signing the legislation, Truman said, “No nation is any healthier than its children.”

Today millions of school children receive free or low price meals because of this initiative that had its earliest roots in the penny lunch. But just enacting this legislation was not enough. Congress had to make improvements when needed.

In 1968, for instance, Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern, who had witnessed the effect of child hunger in war-torn Europe, started a committee to bolster the existing national school lunch program so more needy children could take part. Their work added millions of children to a new national breakfast program and expanded summer feeding initiatives.

But despite these efforts the journey to end child hunger is far from complete. There are still huge gaps in participation in the national school breakfast and summer feeding; and when summer comes and schools close the drop in participation is dramatic.

In 2010, according to Feeding America, 20.6 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program, but just 2.3 million participated in summer feeding. When schools close for the summer distribution of food becomes a huge problem.

Fixing this problem requires a combination of innovation, like Ella Walsh showed, and government support, as demonstrated by McGovern and Dole.

For instance, communities can help set up sites for summer feeding. If enough people volunteer and help spread the word about summer feeding, the problem of food distribution can largelybe solved at the local level. Mobile food pantries for summer are another option, but need support.

In Cincinnati, the tradition of school feeding started by Walsh continues with the universal free breakfast program for public schools. It’s called “Grab and Go,” and it gives every student a free meal in the morning. The program is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, school boards, and donations by businesses and organizations. If more school systems adopted this program across the country, it would mean significant health and educational benefits for students.

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt of Second Harvest Foodbanks of Ohio says governments at all levels should do their part in “implementing universal free breakfast programs as the cornerstone of true education reform.”

When Ella Walsh kicked off the penny lunch to combat hunger, she said, “It is wonderful to watch the improvement in the children who have heretofore been underfed. Their little faces are rounded out and they are healthy, active human beings, interested in their work, progressing rapidly, a contrast to the pale, listless child of a few months before.”

The effect of this meal is just as important today. We know what a difference school feeding can make. Now there must be action to ensure that no child goes hungry and we that we continue America’s quest to end hunger.

Originally distributed by the History News Service.

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Tagged as Cincinnati, Feeding America, Ohio, Penny Lunch

February 26, 2012 · 5:00 am

Drought Afflicted Niger Receives Donation for School Feeding

WFP is providing school meals in Niger as part of its response to severe drought in the region. (WFP/Judith Sculer)

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Niger recently received funding from donors to provide school meals through May. Niger is one of the countries caught in the Sahel Food Crisis as drought and conflict have struck this region of Africa.

The school meals program is meant to keep kids fed and allow them to continue their education during a time of drought. Food prices in Niger have dramatically increased making these food safety nets programs imperative.

Denise Brown, head of WFP Niger, says the school feeding is for over 200,000 children and includes a breakfast and lunch ration. WFP in Niger needs much more help to prevent famine.

WFP is planning to feed 3.3 million people but is currently short 73.7 million dollars for the relief operation. WFP director Josette Sheeran says “We know what needs to be done and we have the lessons learned from the Horn of Africa. We can’t prevent drought, but we can prevent famine.”

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Filed under global hunger

Tagged as Niger, Sahel Food Crisis

Author William Lambers

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Freestore Foodbank Deploys Mobile Pantry for Tornado Relief

Will the Hunger Games Match the Rose Bowl Films?

International Women’s Day, Words for Peace and Food for Education

South Sudan Faces Hunger Emergency

Matthew 25: Ministries ready to aid Midwest towns leveled by massive storms

Ozarks Food Harvest Ready To Aid Storm Relief Effort

Fighting Hunger in America and the Penny Lunch Tradition

Drought Afflicted Niger Receives Donation for School Feeding

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