Organizations working to fight hunger
In today's Dining Out column, I suggested that we all scale down an upcoming meal at a restaurant -- if planning a high-end meal, go out for a midrange one; if planning a midrange one, go out for cheap eats -- and donate the difference to an organization working to alleviate hunger.
Here are some organizations helping in the international, national, and local spheres. A * beside the name indicates a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. If you have a suggestion for an organization to donate to, feel free to post it here in the comments section. As always, check out any organization thoroughly before you give.
International
* Action Against Hunger. Working in countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe to fight malnutrition, especially during and after emergency situations of conflict, war, and natural disaster.
* Freedom From Hunger. An international development organization working in 17 countries.
* Oxfam. An international relief and development organization seeking solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.
World Food Programme. The UN agency recently put out an appeal to donors; the increases in food costs deeply affect how far their money goes.
National
* American Farmland Trust. A different angle. This nonprofit works to change US farm policy, protect farmland from development, plan for agriculture to keep farming viable and help communities balance growth while protecting working land, and safeguard natural resources via environmental stewardship.
* America's Second Harvest. A network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Share Our Strength. A national organization fighting childhood hunger.
Local
The Food Project. Farming in Lincoln and in Boston, the Food Project produces healthy food and teaches leadership to a diverse group of teens. Each season, they grow nearly a quarter-million pounds of food without chemical pesticides, donating half to local shelters. The rest is sold through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) crop shares and farmers’ markets.
Greater Boston Food Bank. Feeds more than 320,000 people annually in nine counties in eastern Massachusetts.
Project Bread. Funds 400 food pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks in Massachusetts; runs a statewide hunger hotline; works with schools to offer breakfast programs; and funds summer programs so kids get a nutritious meal when school's out. Its annual Walk for Hunger takes place on Sunday, May 4.
* Pine Street Inn. Offers shelter, food, and more for the poor and homeless. Pine Street prepares more than 1,600 meals a day.
* Rosie's Place. Meals, groceries, and other assistance for poor and homeless women.
Women's Lunch Place. Provides daytime shelter, food, and services to women who are homeless or poor.
Another great local organization is Community Servings -- Greater Boston's free home-delivered meals program for the critically ill. Rain or shine, we deliver lunch, dinner and a snack to 700 people.
Visit servings.org to learn more.
Boston Medical Center has several programs that work to treat malnourished children in the area and provide food to hungry families. The Grow Clinic for Children treats children with Failure to Thrive, which has long-lasting physical and developmental effects including learning and emotional disorders and difficulty fighting off infection. The Preventive Food Pantry at BMC provides "prescription" food to more than 4,500 patients a month, ensuring patients with life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and diabetes receive healthy and nutritious food. The Demonstration Kitchen at BMC teaches patients how to make nutritious meals for their families and has classes for cardiac rehab, diabetes patients, obesity and weight management.
More information can be found here:
http://www.bmc.org/pediatrics/services/specialty/Development/GrowClinic/Index.html
http://development.bmc.org/site/pp.asp?c=flLVJhP8H&b=131278
Thanks so much for the comments! I did NOT know of these two places! SO important! Thanks for including the links so I can check them out.
Please also know about a place I volunteer for... St. Francis House, the largest shelter of its kind that serves Boston's homeless and ill in a multiservice capacity, serving more than 800 people a day.
To learn more about SFH, please go to stfrancishouse.org.
Click on "ways to help" to volunteer, or to learn about how to join Friends of Frank. Friends of Frank is a committee of young professionals in their 20s, 30s, and 40s dedicated to helping SFH better serve the community, through volunteering and planning events to raise funds for SFH.
Thanks again for the info... It is up to all of us to help each other!
I strongly suggest Tasca, a tapas place in Brighton on the corner of Comm. Ave. and Washington St. I spend less than 20 bucks and I have dinner and dessert and a drink. On Monday nights they usually hold a fund-raiser where all the food proceeds go to the foundation of the night. They were wonderful when I was raising money from my bone marrow transplant and helped me raise $6,000 in one night.
They definitely deserve a shoutout. :)
Another local hunger relief agency is Food for Free in Cambridge (www.foodforfree.org). In addition to rescuing fresh food that might otherwise go to waste and distributing it within the emergency food system where it can reach those in need, Food for Free operates a home delivery program and a seasonal organic farm operation to increase the supply of fresh produce for local shelters, food pantries, and other service programs. In 2007, Food for Free distributed 808,820 pounds of food, serving over 60 agencies and reaching approximately 20,000 individuals. It is important to note that the response to local hunger has been supported in a major way by the area's "celebrity" chefs and high-end restaurants; as customers we can encourage their continued support.
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