DC Check In

Just checking in with a few photos from the trip so far! Though we've been up until past midnight every night, I haven't had too much time to put a post together, but maybe one of these evenings I will. You can follow along on Instagram or twitter @mrssmcp, or check out the Texas Hunger Initiative Facebook page.

- From the desk of Mrs.M 

Flyer

I'm so excited to share the flyer that the communications team created for the A Place at the Table viewing on June 10th! 

- From the desk of Mrs. M

Monday Movie: A Place at the Table.

"50 million Americans exist without enough to eat in a nation with more than enough food."

Today I'm bringing you the wonderful documentary about hunger in the USA, A Place at the Table. I rented it on iTunes this weekend as it's not showing anywhere near here, and hunger has kind of become my area of interest. I am trying to organize a viewing at Baylor for at least social work students, and hopefully beyond, with a discussion and maybe someone from THI to talk about hunger in Texas and answer any questions that may come up. My mind is running, and I hope to get others running, too.

While watching I took three pages of notes, of facts, quotes, and anything that stood out to me, answered questions I had had, or brought up new ones. I'll share some of that with you now, but I highly recommend you watch it for yourself. Here we go:

- 1 out of 6 people say they don't have enough to eat.

- Mississippi has the highest rate of food insecurity AND obesity. (Texas is #3 in food insecurity, by the way)

- 2.3 million people live in food deserts, and 75% of food deserts are urban

- Obama proposed $10 billion over 10 years to increase child nutrition programs, and the money would be taken from the least-justified payments to affluent land holders. That was shut down, and instead we ended up with the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act (2010), which allowed for a $4.5 billion increase over 10 years, coming out to an ONLY 6 cent increase per meal (for lunch/breakfast meals at schools for kiddos), most of which probably won't even go towards actual food but administrative, transportation and other costs. Oh, and over HALF of the bill was paid for by cutting Food Stamps. 

- "The great temptation in Washington is to always take something away from those who, frankly, can't defend themselves." Bill Shore (Share our Strength)

- "If another country was doing this to our kids we would be at war." Jeff Bridges

- "Charity is a great thing but it's not the way to end hunger. We don't fund our department of defense through charity."Jeff Bridges

- experts in the film addressed that we have no food policy, and there needs to be a way to make healthy food accessible, "widespread governmental programs that are focused on the human individual."

Just some things to think about...

If you're interested in finding out more or taking action, you might start here. Or ask me! :)

- From the desk of Mrs. M

My New Job

A couple weeks ago I mentioned I had some really exciting news regarding a research assistant position I was awarded. Well, I thought I'd tell you a little more about that, now that things are official! I've begun working with the Texas Hunger Initiative, as well as No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength. THI received a large grant from Walmart that allowed for them to bring on two, paid research assistants. I will be working in different areas, primarily in research and outreach for their summer and after-school meal programs for kiddos (CACFP and SFSP). I'm spending my 20 hours this first week just reading up on anything and everything to do with the program(s), and learning the many acronyms that come along with it! :)

A bit about THI (via the grant proposal):

The Texas Hunger Initiative (THI) believes that Texas has enough food to feed everyone in the state.  However, the systems that make healthy food accessible to all need to be better organized.  There are numerous strong anti-hunger non-profit organizations in the State of Texas.  Our state agencies work hard to do everything within lawful parameters to implement federal nutrition programs, but their entrenched bureaucracies often struggle with effectiveness and efficiency.

THI is a statewide capacity-building project within the Baylor University School of Social Work that works with federal, state and local governments as well as hunger stakeholders to create an efficient system of accountability that increases food security in Texas.

THI implements strategies to alleviate food insecurity through policy, education and community organizing.  It convenes federal, state and local government stakeholders with non-profits, faith communities and business leaders to use existing resources and develop and implement plans to increase Texas families' access to healthy foods. 

From its inception in 2009, THI's structure has been rooted in the idea that all public and private entities can cooperate, communicate and act together once all parties have clearly defined their roles.  To get to this point, it often takes a skilled intermediary to build trust between interested participants and walk all parties through the entire process.

Interesting stuff, huh? They work at the local, state and federal level, and with a number of departments, organizations, and legislators. Currently, about 4.6 million Texans are food insecure (that is, they have limited or uncertain access to adequate food) and Texas ranks third overall in food insecurity. There is enough food to feed everyone in the state of Texas, there is also, unfortunately, a disconnect in the systems and organization of getting the food to the people who need it, so THI is working to correct this disconnect and break these barriers. And not only are they focused on Texas, but they also have a goal of producing research findings that are generalizable to the rest of the nation, and ultimately coming up with business and community proposals that can be implemented to make the rest of the nation food secure.

I'm really excited, because this is the type of social work I'm hoping to get into- policy, community organizing, making things better for the individual at a macro level... For more information follow the links!

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- From the desk of Mrs. M