First things first…did ya happen to see who this month’s Featured Blogger is on Nasoya.com?
Y’all KNOW I love me some tofu, and Nasoya as a company…so when they asked if I’d be interested in being one of their featured bloggers, I said –
Is tofu a healthy, soy-based meat alternative?
The answer, in case you’re wondering, is yes. Yes. A million times yes!
(And because I feel the need to live up to my own disclosure policy, now is a good time to note that I was not compensated for this…although I might get coupons for a block of free tofu in the future.)
Nasoya is featuring my recipe for Wonton Wrapper S’mores, which you can find on my recipes page.
And if you’re afraid of trying tofu, DON’T be. I have a how-to-press post here, and I’d be happy to answer any questions!
That all leads to a segue of sorts…
…to the real theme of this post: “Feeding the Need.” Because, I’ll be the first to admit…tofu and other luxury items aren’t accessible to everyone. And I feel blessed that I can afford to buy organic, healthy foods whenever I want.
One of the causes that’s near and dear to my heart is hunger — and side-by-side with that is childhood obesity. I’ve long been involved with local food banks, helping collect food, distribute and reach out to those in need. All it takes is ONE day of volunteering to be affected, I’ve found. I have done my best to share whatever I have — some years, money; others time.
This week, Lucas and I had the privilege of touring the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, to get an update on efforts to help families who get some or all of their food through local food banks and service centers. We met with some of the staff, toured the freezer and supply shelves, and even got lunch while getting the latest facts and figures about hunger in our country.
And they’re staggering, guys. (You can get the PDF brochure here if you want to see them all)
Just at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida:
- Approximately 55,000 people need assistance during any given week.
- The staff told us that more and more, they’re seeing “non-traditional” people asking for help — families, young people, those with jobs, those who are recently homeless, etc.
- 49% of clients had to choose between paying for food and paying for their rent or mortgage.
- 11% of clients with children said that their children skipped meals because there was not enough money for food during the previous 12 months.
And the needs are so great that even small steps by volunteers and donors make a huge difference:
- During the course of a year, Second Harvest provides enough food for 14 million meals.
- For every $1 donated, Second Harvest can provide 4 meals.
- For the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, 92% of pantries, 79% of kitchens and 72% of shelters use volunteers.
Among the many great programs Second Harvest runs (collecting leftovers from local restaurants and conventions, helping families through the daunting process of applying for government aid), my personal favorite is the Hi-Five Kids Pack program, which enables schoolteachers to send meals home with kids who otherwise wouldn’t eat over the weekend. The organization also just brought on a nutritionist to help families learn about eating HEALTHY foods, even when they’re on a tight budget.
That’s a lot of Food for Thought — pun TOTALLY intended — so for now, I’ll just let you marinate on what I’ve said.
But my plan is to make this a weekly theme…Food For Thought…in which I highlight organizations that need help, or are doing great things, or anything else that hits my heart.
What can you do?
**Stay tuned to my blog, because I’ll be asking for your help in making a difference. You’ll be invited to raise money, awareness and volunteer teams — whatever YOU can and want to do.
**See what the stats are in your hometown. Second Harvest of CFL is a part of Feeding America, which is getting a lot of good pub thanks to its partnership with “The Biggest Loser.”
**Volunteer for or tour your local food bank. I couldn’t believe how great I felt after just one shift, and I try and go back as much as I can.
And, to prove that I am a sucker for a good story…here’s a video I did on one of the lead volunteers last year, for my company (GrowingBolder.com).
**I’m dying to know — what cause do YOU hold close to your heart?**
About Katy
i love organizations like second harvest, that give people a LEG UP, not just a hand out. i also really love dress for success, they provide lower-income or formerly homeless women with professional suits for job interviews.
You are incredible. Good for you for leading this movement!
Katy, since now’s the time, I thought I would remind folks if they are planning a garden to plant a row for the hungry. Last summer I brought lots of produce into my local food bank and every single time they were thrilled. They have lots of choices in there but so much of it isn’t what I would call food. Packaged, over-processed non-food is what I see a lot of. : (
There is precious little in the way of fresh food. Sometimes if I bring a more exotic veggie in I give them ideas about how to cook it. And sometimes I hear their even better ways of cooking it. It is so easy to plant a few extra plants and bring them in. Makes me happy to contribute. Oh, and another easy way our family contributes to food banks is when I go to Costco I pick up a bulk bag of organic rice or beans and bring them in. It usually costs less than $15. The food bank will repackage into smaller amounts and then somebody is getting some real organic food.
What a great reminder, Patti – the food bank in our area said that’s a real struggle for them, because fresh food goes bad so quickly. They had a cooler, but it wasn’t nearly big enough.