via Pantherbook:
The Franklin Food Pantry: What is Food Insecurity?
by Tuhina Pal https://t.co/pcETc1u96C
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| The Pantry’s supply of fresh produce. (Linda Rondeau Photography) |
Showing posts with label food insecurity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food insecurity. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Pantherbook: "What is food insecurity?"
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Franklin Food Pantry to Take Part in Hunger Action Month®
September is Hunger Action Month®, and the Franklin Food Pantry is joining Feeding America and a nationwide network of food pantries to raise awareness and inspire the public to act on behalf of people experiencing hunger. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure.
The Town of Franklin and the surrounding community are not immune to food insecurity with The Pantry providing more than 1,300 individuals with supplemental food assistance and services. As a private, non- profit organization, The Pantry relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers, offering community groups and individuals many opportunities to become involved in the fight against hunger.
“Over the past two years, the Franklin Food Pantry has experienced a sharp increase in the need for supplemental food assistance,” said Tina Powderly, Executive Director, Franklin Food Pantry. “Hunger Action Month calls on our community to join the fight on hunger, restock our shelves, and make sure everyone in our community has access to nutritious food and services.”
Individuals and groups can take action against hunger by participating in the following:
• Organize a food or fund drive• Donate funds, food, or other pantry needs to the Franklin Food Pantry• Learn about the impact hunger has on Franklin and Norfolk County• Volunteer at the Franklin Food Pantry• Write to local elected officials and urge them to fight hunger• Wear orange on Hunger Action Day (Friday, September 23, 2023) to spread awareness and show commitment toward ending hunger• Join the conversation by posting photos or stories to social media with #HungerActionMonth For more information on Hunger Action Month visit HungerActionMonth.org.
About the Franklin Food Pantry, Inc.
The Franklin Food Pantry, Inc. offers supplemental food assistance and household necessities to more than 1,300 individuals per year. The Franklin Food Pantry is not funded by the Town of Franklin. We are grateful for our many partnerships, including that with the Greater Boston Food Bank, that allow us to achieve greater buying power and lower our costs. Donations and grants fund our food purchases, keep our lights on, and put gas in our food truck.
Programs include home delivery, a weekend backpack program for Franklin school children in need, mobile pantries, emergency food bags, and holiday meal packages. The Pantry is located at 341 W. Central St. in Franklin, Massachusetts on Route 140. Visit www.franklinfoodpantry.org for more information.
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| September is Hunger Action Month |
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
September is Hunger Action Month
This September, we’re asking everyone to choose to help end hunger. Because food shouldn’t be an impossible choice.
Donate today at: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx...
Thursday, August 10, 2023
This Franklin Food Pantry conversation provides some insights into their operations in the new facility (audio)
FM #1035 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1035 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Anne McGillis, Director of Operations, and Yianna Zicherman, Warehouse Manager of the Franklin Food Pantry. We had our conversation in the new location of the Franklin Food Pantry at Edwin’s.
We talk about their respective roles in the operation of the Pantry. We get some insights into what happens behind the scenes to process the donations and food purchases to help our neighbors. Donations are always welcomed to help keep this operation running smoothly.
The recording runs about 16 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Anne & Yianna. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1035-franklin-food-pantry-building-campaign-02-07-24-23
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The Franklin Food Pantry is here for you. If you need us, we are here with not only food, but useful programs and resources for individuals, seniors and families struggling with food insecurity. If you can support us, we thank you - visit franklinfoodpantry.org to explore volunteering, donating funds, donating food, or supporting our Capital Campaign to keep the lights on and the programs, from food elves to weekend backpack stuffing. It truly takes a village to keep our food pantry running and supporting the increasing demand, supporting our Franklin neighbors.
Part 1 of the podcast series for the Franklin Food Pantry was shared last week.
Note: As part of my long association with the Franklin Food Pantry, I contribute financially to the building capital campaign.
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news or www.Franklinmatters.org/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
Thursday, March 30, 2023
FPL Community Conversations March 30, at 6 PM - This month’s topic: Food Insecurity!
Community Conversations! Thursday, March 30 @6:00PM
Folks of all ages are welcome to join us each month as we unpack, discuss, and engage with topics relevant both within our community and beyond. Come with an open mind, leave with plenty of food for thought!
This month’s topic: Food Insecurity!
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Ending Hunger in Massachusetts - Forum scheduled for Wednesday, January 25
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Saturday, December 3, 2022
Franklin Food Pantry busy this season serving our neighbors and getting ready for the new building
We hope you are having a happy and healthy holiday season! The Pantry is very busy with Holiday Distributions, Turkey Trot, Food Elves and getting our new home ready for our neighbors!
While Franklin is considered an idyllic residential setting, it is not immune from food insecurity. Almost 10 percent of Franklin's residents aren't sure where their next meal will come from. This isn't happening to someone else in Franklin,
it is happening to us.
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| rendering of the New Franklin Food Pantry |
The Franklin Food Pantry distributed 26,292 bags of groceries last year to more than 1,100 people in more than 500 households. Many of our neighbors shopped more than twice per month in order to make ends meet. Demand for our services has grown from 150 households per week to more than 180 households per week in the last few months. Franklin Food Pantry's FY2022 statistics show just how much work there is to do and how prevalent food insecurity is in our area.
The Pantry has been fortunate to enjoy our current space for the last 13 years, thanks to the generosity of Rockland Trust. However, we have outgrown our space and cannot expand our programs and services to accommodate the increasing need. The Pantry purchased the Edwin's building at 341 West Central St. and you may be wondering exactly why we need this building.
It's not about the building,
it's about what we will do in the building!
In our new space, we will:
- Preserve human dignity with private client meeting rooms.
- Expand programs and services through partnership and collaboration.
- Create a warm and welcoming space that honors local history.
- Increase the client shopping area offering more food and product choices.
- Increase community engagement through workshops and trainings.
- Ensure safety and ADA compliance with accessible walkways and interior lift
- Grow our weekend backpack program and increase mobile pantry sites.
- Save time and money with thoughtful and cost-effective design.
We can't do this without support from YOU – please look for information about how you can contribute to The Pantry's Campaign in the coming months or contact Marsha Tait at mtait@franklinfoodpantry.org for more information.
YOU have the power to create a better
community for everyone by contributing to
The Pantry's campaign:
The New Franklin Food Pantry:
Nourishing Neighbors, Building Community
Updates for the new Franklin Food Pantry Building can be found online ->
Thursday, November 24, 2022
"Best by", "Sell by", "Use by" – Oh my!
"On average, the U.S. wastes an estimated 125 to 160 billion pounds of food each year . And where does it all end up? In a landfill, where it’s buried under mounds of toxic trash and eventually breaks down and emits methane . We bury so much organic waste that landfills are now the third-largest source of climate-damaging methane emissions in the U.S.But the environmental impacts of food waste don’t end there. By wasting food, we deplete precious resources, like water. In fact, agriculture in the U.S. accounts for about 80% to 90% of the nation’s water consumption . On top of that, when bad market conditions lead farmers to toss edible food aside or when sold foods go uneaten, all the resources that went into producing those crops are squandered. There’s also a massive economic downside to throwing away uneaten food, adding up to approximately $218 billion a year in the U.S.So, how did we start throwing out so much food? Well, several factors play into our increasing wastefulness. Here, we break down the components leading us to toss our food and offer solutions that can help solve our food waste problem."
Continue reading the article online -> https://www.clf.org/blog/why-we-waste-food/
Shared from Twitter -> https://twitter.com/CLF/status/1594767748000845833
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Invisible People TV: "How Perceptions About Rising Crime Rates Affect Homeless People"
"Americans fear for their safety now more than ever. A recent Gallup poll showed fifty-six percent of Americans, which is a record high, believe local crime has risen in their area this year. Seventy-eight percent believe crime is up nationally, which is tied with 2020 when crime truly was significantly higher than average.There are a few specific types of crimes Americans fear falling victim to more than in previous years. The highest is fear of a child being harmed in school. Next are fears of getting mugged, being attacked while driving, being sexually assaulted, and being murdered. Except for being attacked while driving, all of these fears increased among city dwellers, as opposed to suburban- or rural dwellers.What we can conclude from this data is that people, especially in urban areas, are a lot more afraid of random attacks than before. It’s not difficult to imagine why, with the increased buzz around violent crimes such as school shootings and random stabbings. We all seem to be a little more aware of our surroundings.But there are a couple of important points we need to keep in mind:
- What we see reported is not always a reflection of reality.
- Our fear can have harmful consequences if we aren’t careful."
Continue reading the article online at Invisible People TV
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Invisible People TV: "Veteran Homelessness: The War is Far from Over"
"Midterm election season has come to a close. Would-be leaders have engaged in heated debates. Maps of the United States have been posted online, stenciled, and colored in patriotic hues, the country taking on its patchwork of differing political opinions by presenting it to the public as a digital, color-coded pictogram.Still, this is only part of the story.As political ads fade back into the background and newly elected leaders take their posts, many of the diplomatic talking points that drove those campaigns will also dissipate, lost in the sea of social justice hashtags.One of the biggest debates to take center stage in major metropolitan areas was homelessness. The discussion has captivated public interest in the wake of skyrocketing rents, astronomical housing prices, and unprecedented inflation levels. While the subjects of shelter beds, sweeps, and supportive housing fueled fiery discord across party lines, whether any of those words will give way to action remains a lingering hope yet to be seen."
Continue reading the article online at Invisible People TV ->
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| Credit Image: © Kenneth Martin/ZUMA Wire |
Monday, November 21, 2022
Invisible People TV: "How is Poverty on the Decline, Yet Homelessness is Increasing?"
"In a September 2022 article, the New York Times writes poverty levels are plummeting. Census data supports this conclusion according to their 2021 census titled Poverty in the United States.This would seem like celebratory news at first glance. Yet, even as poverty is plunging, homelessness is increasing. How is this possible?If poverty levels are dropping, doesn’t that mean homelessness should be getting better? The complicated answer only raises more questions.The Intrinsic Link between Homelessness and Poverty Perpetuates a Vicious Cycle
Poverty is the third-leading cause of homelessness in the U.S. The first two leading causes – a lack of affordable housing and unemployment – are also tied to poverty. However, they are not quite the same. Let us first look at the prospect of poverty and how it is measured, quantified, and defined."
Continue reading the article online at Invisible People TV ->
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| Credit Image: © Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics via ZUMA Press Wire |
Tuesday, June 7, 2022
Challenged to bring food home, or to meet your mortgage payment, there is help
Food Pantry's can help
"Nearly a third of Massachusetts adults are struggling to get enough to eat as the economic pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to batter household budgets.At least 1.8 million people — or 32 percent of the state’s adult population — are food-insecure, a new survey from the Greater Boston Food Bank found. The burden lies most heavily on Black and Latinx communities and families with children.It’s “a frightening statistic,” said GBFB CEO Catherine D’Amato. “We’ve worked with much better numbers in years past.”
Continue reading the Boston Globe article online
Mortgage Assistance
As day-to-day administrators & marketers of MA's Homeowner Assistance Fund, MHP & know spreading the word is key to helping people who need mortgage help due to #COVID-19. The wrote about #MassHAF.
Please share. bit.ly/3tcXT04 #housingassistance
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| meet your mortgage payment, there is help |
Shared from Twitter -> https://twitter.com/mhphousing/status/1533780993726943234
Saturday, May 21, 2022
"We urgently need to diversify global food production"
"For the past few years, scientists have been frantically sounding an alarm that governments refuse to hear: the global food system is beginning to look like the global financial system in the run-up to 2008.
While financial collapse would have been devastating to human welfare, food system collapse doesn’t bear thinking about. Yet the evidence that something is going badly wrong has been escalating rapidly. The current surge in food prices looks like the latest sign of systemic instability.
Many people assume that the food crisis was caused by a combination of the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine. While these are important factors, they aggravate an underlying problem. For years, it looked as if hunger was heading for extinction. The number of undernourished people fell from 811 million in 2005 to 607 million in 2014. But in 2015, the trend began to turn. Hunger has been rising ever since: to 650 million in 2019, and back to 811 million in 2020. This year is likely to be much worse. "
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
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| Illustration: Eva Bee/The Guardian |
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