National Food Bank Day : 9/3/21

By Lisa's * Everyday Life on September 6, 2024

Welcome to my Friday Favorites from Books to Events it's all here. Today I am posting about a family favorite - Our local Food Bank and Mobile Food Pantry make a monthly stop in our small town and we volunteer monthly. So do your part this Friday - volunteer, donate and you will be helping your community. Lisa

The term "food insecurity" means that a person doesn't know where or when they'll find their next meal. In 2013, 49.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.3 million adults and 15.8 million children.^[1]
In 2013, 62% of food-insecure households participated in at least 1 out of the 3 major Federal food assistance programs.^[2]
100% of food banks responding to a Feeding America survey reported an increase in demand for emergency food assistance in 2008. Demand for emergency food assistance increased at a rate ranging from 28.6% to 37.7%.
In 2013, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20%), especially households with children headed by single women (34%) or single men (23%).^[4]
Across the Feeding America network of over 63,000 agencies, 66% of pantries, 41% of kitchen programs, and 11% of shelter programs have no paid staff, relying entirely on volunteers.^[5]
Hunger in America exists for over 50 million people. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population – including more than 1 in 5 children.^[6]
According to Map the Meal Gap, in 2012, the top 5 states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 are New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Oregon, and Georgia

Mobile Food Pantry: https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/hunger-relief-programs/mobile-food-pantry-program

The Mobile Pantry Program directly serves clients in areas of high need in an effort to supplement other hunger-relief agencies in that area. Through a Mobile Pantry, a truckload of food is distributed to clients in pre-packed boxes or through a farmers market-style distribution where clients choose to take what they need.

Friday Car Line-up:

The Mobile Pantry Program expands the capacity of the Feeding America network to make food more accessible in underserved communities where people with limited financial resources may not be able to access food through traditional grocery stores or food pantries. This allows food banks to provide rescued food and grocery products - including meat, produce, and baked goods - to people more quickly and flexibly

Food bank Recipe:

Ham and White Beans :

1 pound dry great Northern beans
½ pound cooked ham, diced
1 small onion, diced
½ cup brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Rinse beans in a large pot; discard shriveled beans and any small stones. Add 8 cups of cold water. Let stand overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse beans.
Step 2Return beans to pot and add ham, onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne and parsley and water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during cooking time.

Health Tips :

Fats

Cannellini beans contain little to no fat. Many canned varieties list 0g fat per 1/2 cup, or, at the most, just 0.5g.

Protein

Depending on the brand of cannellini beans and how they're processed, you can expect to take in anywhere from 5–8g of protein in a serving. This may not be as high as some other beans, like soy, but it's still a respectable dose.