The Greatest Generation

They have been labeled "The Greatest Generation". They are comprised of our mothers, grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers. They are also one of the most vulnerable populations at risk for food insecurity in our country today.

So what are we doing to help give them hope and a nutritious meal? Your donations are helping us feed, not only children, but senior citizens aross the South Plains. Summer is especially hard on the elderly. Water is always an appreciated donation. Even with the break in cool weather dehydration can cause major health problems for our senior citizens.

Hygiene

Brushing your teeth. Washing your hair. Using deodorant. Taking a shower.

These are all activities we most likely take for granted every single day. We get up and simply go through the motions without thinking about them or thinking about what it would be like if we didn't have the basic hygiene items needed.

While we have been increasing awareness for the need people have for nutritious meals, we sometimes forget there are other basic needs that are likely not being met either. Hygiene is one of those needs. The SPFB also gives out hygiene boxes that include items such as toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, Kleenex, and other similar items. We are currently running extremely low on hygiene boxes and need your help!

Next time you are picking up these basic items for your family, consider buying an extra set and donating it to the Food Bank. You can also visit our virtual food drive and donate online! We couldn't do this without you!

Lend a Helping Hand

One of the greatest assets the SPFB has are our volunteers. I mentioned the weekly volunteers in yesterday's blog; today I want to tell you how you, too, can get involved! We welcome volunteers, both individual and group, at any time. Below I've listed a few ways we utilize volunteers.

• Preparing donated foods and hygiene items for distribution: such as, sorting donated food; repackaging dry and frozen food; packing dry, frozen, and hygiene boxes.


• Helping in the kitchen.


• Working at reception desk (good telephone/people skills needed).


• Planning and working at various Food Bank on-going functions and special events.


• Opportunities are also available at Second Helpings soup kitchens and Kids Cafe programs. Contact the Food Bank for referrals to volunteer with these programs.

This spring I brought a group of high school sophomores to volunteer and not only were they able to lend a helping hand but we had a blast! They couldn't wait to get back out here ... from teenagers!! They laughed, they worked hard and they were given the opportunity to help others. Visit our website or call Meagan Bratton (806-763-3003) for more information.

What a difference a smile can make

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet some of the wonderful, hard-working volunteers at the SPFB. Some of the men and women have been volunteering their time for many years and some, like me, are new. We are grateful for all they do.

They are the face of the food bank in many ways. They are who you talk to when you call the food bank and they are the first faces that you see as you walk through the doors. They make sure that every individual who walks through the doors of the SPFB are greeted with a smile and made to feel comfortable. They are good at what they do! They certainly make me smile sometimes all it takes is a smile to make another person's day.

It's been said that "A smile is the shortest distance between two people". Research has even indicated that 6 month old babies who smile are more socially adjusted as 2 year olds (Opportunities Today, 2008). Now that is powerful! For us adults, smiling is equally important. Not only does smiling make us feel better, it is contagious. It is a phenomenon known as "emotional contagion".

In this time of economic hardship, smiling is even more important. It gives hope. Which is what we strive to do everyday at the SPFB, give hope. Give hope to those who feel hopeless. There is so much more that happens when someone is given food. Without it there is no hope, it is difficult, if not impossible, to see past the hunger. Fulfill that basic need and suddenly there is hope for better times.

Awestruck

Hi SPFB blog readers. I'm going to be updating you about the exciting things going on at the Food Bank through this blog and I can't wait to get started. (In fact, I already did with yesterday's blog.) I am new to the SPFB and I am learning more and more each day about what an imperative service the SPFB provides for 21 counties across the South Plains. I have volunteered at the SPFB in the past and have been aware of the need to see people fed but to see first hand the lives that are improved on a daily basis has been an eye-opener. I am in awe of what is being done here, amazed that I get to be a part of it, and I want to share that with you! I want to meet you and tell you about what is being done about hunger on the South Plains.

Just yesterday I was able to visit one of the summer food sites that helps feeds children. At just that one site in Lubbock, 60 kids were fed a hot lunch today. These are children who, during the school year, receive reduced or free breakfasts and lunches at school. The meal they received at noon today may be the only hot meal they will eat today. Their bright faces and soft laughter filled the room as they were given the very basic of human rights, the right to nutrition. Soon, they were off to play and enjoy summer. How exciting to be part of an organization that aims to eradicate hunger! Thank you for all you do to help the SPFB feed our neighbors and friends.

Summer Hunger

Worldwide: Every five seconds a child will die from complications of hunger (Black, Saul, Bryce, 2003). 963 million individuals suffer from hunger and malnutrition (2008 Food Security Statistics).

United States: 1 in 10 households suffer from hunger, 35.5 million individuals, 12.6 million children (USDA Economic Research Service, 2005).

Let’s bring those statistics a little closer to home. Across West Texas, 1 in 5 individuals do not know where their next meal will come from or if there will be a next meal. Are they sitting next you in church? Are they playing with your kids at the park? Do they walk past you on the neighborhood walking path? Next time you find yourself in a large crowd think about how many people around you, statistically, do not know where they will get their next meal.

Summer is a particularly busy time at food banks all across the country. The South Plains Food Bank (SPFB) is no exception. At first glance one might wonder why summer? In the 21 West Texas counties the SPFB serves, 65% of the children receive free or reduced priced lunches during the school year, compared to a statewide average of 59% (2008 Kids Count Report). Translate that to summer and it stands to reason those same children are daily wondering if they are going to get even two full meals a day. This is commonly known as food insecurity.

So what exactly is food insecurity and what consequences manifest for the millions of Americans who suffer from food insecurity? USDA defines food insecurity as disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake (www.usda.gov). There are multiple physical and mental consequences of food insecurity. Immune systems are weakened, stomachaches and headaches are more common, fatigue and dehydration become realities and as a result there are more hospitalizations among individuals who suffer from food insecurity. Additionally, children can develop behavioral difficulties and become impaired in all aspects of school performance.

Seem a little overwhelming? Perhaps, but don’t let that stop you from lending a helping hand. The SPFB offers various opportunities throughout the year for you to get involved. For the next few days I’m going to highlight different ways the West Texas community can get involved and help ensure nutritious meals for our neighbors and friends.

“One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.” Henry David Thoreau

Why for’s and what if’s

Before you find the right answer, you have to have the right question.

This morning at the South Plains Food Bank, we had about 15 children from Lake Ridge United Methodist Church volunteer with us. It is the first day of their Vacation Bible School program. Everyone put on hairnets and rubber gloves and went about the task of filling bags with pizza flour. One person opens the plastic bag, another drops in a label, another scoops and dumps flour, the bag is sealed and put in a bin. We will put a two pound bag of pizza flour into each food box we distribute to feed the hungry in our community.

The experience gives us a chance to talk about how children are helping, who is going to receive the bags, and how their work is helping feed others. But I like the other questions, kids ask, "Why do we have to wear hair nets?" "Why can't we just use our hands?" "Why are people hungry?" Questions about hair nets are pretty easy. ("Do you want a stranger's hair in your pizza!") Questions about why people are hungry get more complicated.

Last weekend I attended Bill's 85^th surprise birthday party. Eight-five years seems like a long time unless you know someone like Bill. Bill reminds me of the kids from Vacation Bible School this morning. He's full of energy and questions and caring. Bill's old enough to know he doesn't have all the answers, but he knows the right questions. "What would it take to make Lubbock hunger free?" "What if you had the resources you needed to feed everyone?" "What would it take to put the South Plains Food Bank out of business?" (He tells me I would have to get a real job then!)

Bill knows it's not enough to just ask the questions. He's spent a good chunk of time searching for the answers with us and trying to figure out how to put the South Plains Food Bank out of business.