FoodBank

At the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, we are pretty sure that most non-profit organizations in town are jealous of our wonderful Board of Directors.  They work tirelessly to help us educate the community and our business parters about all of the great programs and services that we offer.  They help us spread the word about events and food drives that we hold.  They are constantly making us feel appreciated for the work that they do and they even come out to volunteer.  There is one thing that our Board does that we can’t put a value on.  They care deeply about helping the hungry people in our region.  Their support, guidance, influence and even work is part of a very large puzzle that means over 120,000 people got food last year.  We thank them for their committment!    Check out these photos of our Board helping out in our Warehouse yesterday. 

There has been a very interesting series in the New York Times about the rise in use of SNAP Benefits (Food Stamps) and the change in attitudes across the country about their use.  Click here to read the most recent NYT article  Once Stigmatized, Food Stamps Find Acceptance.

At the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, we have seen the opportunity with this program for some time.  The benefits were there, available for families that need them, but greatly underutilized.  And so the Food Stamp Outreach program was born.  Employees of the Food Bank go out to various locations where emergency food services are available and help people get signed up for these very useful benefits.  Not only do SNAP benefits provide a longer term solution to hunger than a food pantry, they also provide a boost to our local economy due to spending in our local grocery stores.  For every dollar in SNAP benefits received, there is an economic impact of $1.84.  For more information on the Food Bank SNAP outreach or for locations, click here.  

For an early article in the Food Stamp series in the New York Times click here.  Click here for an article in the series that explores the phenomenon of families that are living on soley food stamp benefits.

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada was awarded a national Victory Against Hunger Award by the Congressional Hunger Center, Victory Wholesale Group and Feeding America.  It’s true, we like awards.  Why wouldn’t we? 

In this case, we were in good company with 26 nationally recognized Food Banks, 5 from the west coast.  This award recognized organizations that had innovative anti-hunger initiatives.  The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is always looking for new and different ways to not only feed the hungry, but to create longer term solutions for the problem.  This award was about our nationally modeled Food Stamp Outreach Program. 

The SNAP (formerly food stamps) Outreach Program helps people overcome barriers that are keeping them from receiving this very important benefit.  Our SNAP Outreach Team is all around the area every week  helping people get signed up, doing the interviews and delivering the packets to the welfare office.  In the fiscal year of 08/09, this program helped over 3,500 people get benefits.   Not only is SNAP a great way to help a family make ends meet, but it is also money that goes back into the economy.  For every dollar spent through the SNAP program, $1.84 is seen in economic benefit.  

If you or someone that you know needs help, please call us today at 331-3663 and find out if SNAP can help you.  Food Stamp Outreach Information. 

It’s true, we love awards but what we love more is if this award gives us the opportunity to get more people signed up for SNAP benefits, because now they know we can help.

Across the nation yesterday, many of us examined what the national Hunger Study 2010 was really telling us.   People that work with hunger fighting agencies every day certainly are aware that the numbers are up.  The lines at pantries are longer, the time that people must wait for their SNAP benefits (food stamps) to be activated have been longer, and the number of children who qualify for free and reduced lunches is larger.  

When we examined the study, and thought back to the last Hunger Study (published in 2006), we took the time to look at the increases that the Food Banks have seen.  In northern Nevada, these increases were unbelievable.  The number of people served in a single year at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada is 124,200, which is four times what it was in 2006.  The numbers of children needing emergency food assistance  have skyrocketed as well.  Close to 50,000 children are served in northern Nevada, with 1/3 of them facing very low food security, which is actually facing hunger on a regular basis.

There are things we learned from the study that we suspected were true, but are confirmed, such as the difficult choices facing our neighbors every day.   The study showed that 44% of people that are served by the Food Bank have to choose between food and rent, mortgage or utilities.  We know that over 40% of those served have unpaid medical or hospital bills and that 32.5% don’t have health insurance. 

The 2010 Hunger Study shows us what we are facing and that the problems affect all members of our communities.  The task before us is larger than it ever has been in recent history.  There are many families counting on us for help with their very basic needs.  This task can seem overwhelming when a document like the Hunger Study surfaces but what it really gives us is an opportunity.  An opportunity to change the tide and make a difference.

Every person has the power to make a difference and when we all pull together, we do.  We ask you to take a small amount of time and energy to lend to this cause.  You could volunteer for a couple of hours, offer a $10 donation (providing 40 meals), or spread the word to a friend.  

Our work depends on you and that is exactly why it is possible.

If you are interested in learning more about the recent hunger study, click  here for the press release Hunger Study Findings , here for the Additional Information Page and here for the State Statistics.

If you are looking for organizations that are helping those devastated by the Haiti Earthquake, and ways that you can help yourself, these are good links offered to us by our national partners, Feeding America.

NVOAD: www.nvoad.org

InterAction: www.interaction.org

The Center for International Disaster Information: http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/