Take action to end hunger

Take action to end hunger

September is Hunger Action Month and Food for People, the food bank for Humboldt County, joins the Feeding America network cheap jerseys of food banks in raising awareness about food insecurity both nationally and here in Humboldt County. households were food insecure in 2015. Food for People provides food for more than 12,000 individuals every month 10 percent of the county population.

Having to choose between rent, health care, transportation and food is a daily experience for too many of our neighbors. In the fall of 2014, Food for People worked with the California Center for Rural Policy to survey clients at 15 pantry sites throughout Humboldt County for the Food Access Pantry Services Report, with generous support from St. Joseph Health System. When asked to describe their level of food insecurity, 56 percent of clients reported having very low food insecurity, which means they had missed multiple meals and generally had lower food intake because they could not afford to eat.

Food for People encourages the community to take action with the Ways in 30 Days calendar of activities for Hunger Action Month. For the past two Septembers, during Hunger Action Month, we asked community members to share how hunger affects them through the HungerHurts project by taking pictures of themselves holding a sign that states how hunger hurts them or their community. Local doctors, elected representatives, teachers, students and chefs shared their stories on the impact of hunger locally. Food for People again invites the community to share how HungerHurts for Hunger Action Month 2016. Photos can be viewed at the Web locations listed above. Add yours on the Facebook page and tag Food for People.

Last September, we introduced HungerHeroes, highlighting how people are taking action to end hunger locally. Examples include volunteering, holding food drives, and donating to the food bank. Last year, an average of 429 community members donated more than 28,000 hours of their time to Food for People programs. With their help, the food bank distributed more than two million pounds of food and reached more than 12,000 individuals monthly through 14 different programs. http://www.cheapjerseys11.com/ Help honor HungerHeroes at the Hunger Action Month online pages noted above.

Hunger Action Month occurs alongside Local Food Month. It is a great time for highlighting the connection between the two and the wonderful contributions local farmers, backyard gardeners and food producers make toward the goal of reducing food insecurity in Humboldt County. Last year, Food for People Gleaning Program brought in donations of close to 85,000 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables and beef from dozens of local farms, orchards and ranches, plus many individual community members. More than 27,000 pounds of the total were donated by home gardeners through the Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign.

Salt and pepperTurn on your oven broiler. Arrange the slices of eggplant on a baking sheet, and then place them under the broiler for about 3 minutes. Watch them carefully. Once they begin to blacken, remove them from the oven and flip the slices over. Repeat the process on the other side. Once your eggplant is nicely charred, chop it into bite sized pieces. In a bowl, mix the tahini, lemon juice, and chili flakes (if using), plus plenty of salt and pepper. Add the eggplant and stir it around. Add more salt or lemon juice according to your taste, top it with dill if available, and serve.

Nutrition information: total calories 207; total fat 9.0 g; protein 7.2 g; carbohydrate 30.4 g; dietary fiber 17.6 g; saturated fat 1.2 g; sodium 29 mg; sugar 14.1 g.