The Cultural Diversity of Food

Many thanks to Carissa, our Communications VISTA, who recently spent time with Mobile Foodshare, and had this insightful commentary to share:

"Gary and I visited the North End of Hartford at the Salvation Army, followed by the Church of the Most High God. One of the things that stood out to me most was that many people were deterred by certain food items--particularly butternut squash--either because they didn't know how to prepare it, or squash wasn't a part of their cultural diet. 

Upon hearing a volunteer share how to make butternut squash soup, a few people took her up on an offer to make them a batch. Other volunteers followed in suit, offering hesitant visitors new and different ways to prepare the vegetable, which resulted in even more people accepting the previously-abandoned food. 

I think it's important to understand the cultural and religious diversity of the people we serve, recognizing that not all households prepare meals in the same way, using the same types of foods. It could help us provide better options and more nutritious meals for people living in a particular community."

As a learning-organization, Foodshare is always discovering new and innovative ways to more effectively nourish our neighbors. Over the years we have developed recipe cards and forged relationships with UCONN Dietetics to promote healthier eating habits. But there is much more that can be done and experiences like the one Carissa shared can help us further explore this work.

Do you have a story to share? Become a Foodshare guest blogger and use your experience to help change lives.

Harvard Seeks to Eliminate the Stigmas of Poverty

A recent international panel came together at Harvard’s Center for European Studies for a two-day workshop that examined how different forms of exclusion contribute to the spread of poverty, and how social, political, and economic inclusion may reduce it. A key issue is how the poor are stigmatized, and how that itself fosters poverty.

Check out the full article in the Harvard Gazette >

Walking Together for the Common Good

The diversity of participants taking part in Sunday’s Foodshare Walk Against Hunger makes a very important point – hunger does not discriminate. Thousands of people of all ages, races and religions, gathered at Hartbeat Park – owned by Presenting Sponsor, The Hartford – to speak out against this issue affecting more than 137,000 of our closest friends and neighbors. The dollars are still being counted, but so far walkers have raised $530,478 to fight hunger.

We are so grateful to groups like The Hartford, who engage hundreds of employees in this one event. This year, their team alone raised $210,000 in support of Foodshare, including a $20,000 sponsorship! And then there’s the grassroots effort happening – small businesses, schools, civic and faith groups – all coming together for the common good. The Chase Challenge, issued by the Chase Family Foundation, provided an additional match to the first 50 Walkers who raised more than $600 benefiting Foodshare, a $30,000 boost!

We have until month’s end before we have to close the books on this important fundraiser. That means there is still plenty of time to show your support. Every extra dollar means three more meals for one of our hungry neighbors. Those wishing to make a donation in support of Foodshare, or a registered Walker, may do so by clicking the button below, or by calling 860-286-9999. Any teams or walkers who have not yet turned in their pledges should do so right away. 

A special thanks to all of our 2015 Walk Sponsors!

Cigna diversity committee donates

Cigna folks came by again last week with another donation! The Diversity Committee at Cigna recently held an event where immigrants to the US told their stories about this country and their experiences here and abroad. About 80 people attended, bringing special food dishes reflecting their heritage. The attendees also raised funds to buy Stop & Shop gift cards so that other local families in need could have food. Members of the Cigna Diversity Committee dropped of $100in gift cards to Foodshare to distribute. Thank you, Cigna!

 

Foodshare's Diversity Committee is meeting later today...learn more about our commitment to diversity here.

Foodshare staff luncheon

It's an annual pre-holiday tradition at Foodshare!  Every year, our Diversity Committee organizes a pre-Thanksgiving luncheon with a full turkey and all the trimmings menu!  Sebastian, the chef at the House of Bread, roasts the turkey and makes the stuffing and gravy for us, and then the team members at Foodshare each bring something traditional to their own family's Thanksgiving table. 

And we learn a little about our co-workers holiday traditions.  More important, we get a chance to unwind and relax a bit together before the hectic "Turkey and Thirty" season begins.

It made for an amazing lunch on Friday! And since it was Friday, most of us went home with leftovers. I know I ate turkey twice more over the weekend!

Foodshare's approach to diversity

Two weeks ago on Monday, Foodshare had our monthly full staff meeting.  As a part of our Diversity Committee's work, we broke the staff into four smaller groups and each discussed a scenario that could well occur during the course of our work and how they would handle it.  Topics covered in the scenarios included race, age, disability, and sexual orientation.

The discussions were rich and interesting, so after the meeting, I distributed the materials for those who could not be present or those who might want to re-review the information presented.  Last week, I got this e-mail message from one of the team:

"Gloria, I missed our Staff meeting due to an outside meeting, so thanks for passing these along.  It is a privilege to work at Foodshare which continues to breakdown stereotypes and misinformation about people who we live and work with every day." 

Foodshare's Diversity Policy, as approved by the Board of Directors, says:

"Our community is made up of many cultures, faiths, professions, and lifestyles... all sharing a common need for safe and adequate food.  To meet this need, Foodshare actively fosters and promotes an environment that recognizes the benefits of a diverse organization.  Foodshare will continually strive to establish a reputation for embracing diversity as we strive to better understand our neighbors and remove barriers to effective hunger solutions."

It's good to see the Diversity Committee living this out and staff members who not only accept, but fully commit, to this approach.  We firmly believe that when it comes to our complex mission of ending hunger, everyone has something to contribute!