SOME OF OUR FAVORITE LOCAL STORIES

Why I support Second Harvest: A donor’s story – February 23

Nothing is more important than having food on the table. To state the obvious, food—like shelter—is something without which we cannot survive. Second Harvest thus quite literally provides a lifeline for those whom my wife and I cannot feed directly. And it has done so for the nearly 40 years that we have supported Second Harvest. During this period we have seen not even a hint that their mission is diminishing in importance. On the contrary, the organization seems to be throwing out more and more lifelines to those in our midst who are in danger of sinking.

Your guide to making tasty vegetable broth – February 16

Despite our best efforts to reduce food waste, it can sometimes be impossible to make it through a recipe without throwing away a carrot top or two. While it doesn’t feel like much at the time, you’d be surprised by how quickly the waste piles up. But fear not! You can easily transform those leftover vegetable scraps into delicious, homemade vegetable broth in just over an hour.

Kids Cooking Camps – February 9

Three times a year, we offer kids cooking camps that help support our programming year-round. These camps meet for two-hour sessions, Monday through Thursday, and are designed for kids ages 8-12. We pick a different theme for each camp so it’s always a new experience for our return campers. The kids get to eat what they make and take home cookbooks to recreate the recipes in their own kitchens.

Spending time in the kitchen is such a valuable tool for children as they develop their motor skills, social skills, confidence, and learn to problem solve. They practice basic skills like math and reading, too. We also focus on sharing nutrition knowledge through activities, discussions, and best of all, tasting how good nutritious foods like whole grains and vegetables can taste.

Cook up inspiration as a nutrition ambassador – January 26

In The Kitchen, we host cooking classes every week that are free to the public — especially our neighbors facing hunger. We focus on recipes that are nutritious, affordable and use ingredients sourced from our very own warehouse. We want our neighbors to know all about the health benefits of those canned chickpeas they keep seeing on the shelf at the food pantry and how they can cook them.
To execute these cooking classes, our nutrition education team partners with a dynamite group of volunteers whom we call nutrition ambassadors.

Zilch: Feed More. Waste Nothing. – January 19

Second Harvest has always looked to rescued food as a pillar of food sourcing and implemented a variety of programs to provide food to neighbors in need. Hard as we work, some of the food we rescue can’t be saved; fortunately, local animal farmers help us close the last gap in the system by taking the unsalvageable food. But our work is never done, so we continue to innovate and seek additional opportunities to feed more and waste nothing. That’s where the idea of our new program called Zilch takes root. The idea is simple but embodies our mission: No hunger. No waste. Nothing. None. Zilch!

What my year of service at Second Harvest has taught me – January 12

Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 15 is a unique federal holiday that calls on all Americans to serve one another and celebrate the legacy of King. In this spirit, we are called to serve one another through actions that will create a more equitable society for everyone in our communities. This day is also an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the dignity and value of all our neighbors and utilize this reflection to inspire our action steps.
As a child, my parents instilled in me the importance of volunteering to give back to our community. As I have grown up and continued my commitment to service, my understanding of service has evolved. I have begun to recognize the reciprocal nature of service. Rather than being a one-way transaction, with genuine intentionality, service becomes a relationship builder.

Food insecurity numbers rise – January 5

We’d really like to report that the number of Americans struggling with hunger has gone down.
Sadly, that’s not the case.
The Department of Agriculture recently reported that 12.8% of households (17 million) across the country were food insecure in 2022. That’s worse than the 10.2% (13.5 million) in 2021 and the 10.5% in 2020. Similarly, the percentage of households with children also went the wrong direction, at 8.8% in 2022, compared to 6.2% in 2021 and 7.6% in 2020.
While the numbers provide a rough sketch of the increasing need, the true effect is on our neighbors.