Hunger, Health And Wealth
I remember when a small bag of potato chips used to be 25 cents. Somehow the suggested retail price rose up to 50 cent for small ounce of potato chips.
Junk food is not the only thing that increased, but along with that was the gas prices — which has been a big deal recently.
Some people blame the economy, some blame our leadership, our government and some blame it on consumers. Overall, we all play a role in the hunger disparities and it’s starting right in your community.
You may ask, “How could I be responsible for the thousand of people going hungry every day?” Well, you are not directly responsible for those people.
Let’s look at the big picture.
In 2009, in response to the question, “Have there been times in the past twelve months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?”
18.5 % of people in the U.S. said “Yes.” Nearly 1 in 4 households with children said, “Yes.”
What does this mean to you? This means hunger lurks in almost every community in America.
But, hunger is bigger than America. It’s an global issue and we all can do something
25,000 people die everyday from hunger-related causes.
Take Forgotten Harvest for example, a local food bank in my hometown of Detroit. This organization “rescued” 23.2 million pounds of food last year.
They “rescue” food that grocery stores. schools, restaurants and various businesses would otherwise throw away and donate them to over 435 food donating organizations.
Forgotten Harvest is combating two hunger problems in America: Hunger and waste. That is amazing!
Think of what we can do by rescuing our food. Next time you’re at an event with a surplus of food, why not tell the organizer about Forgotten Harvest or an organization that does something similar.
Using your voice and knowledge of hunger, waste, and malnutrition counts. I always say, if you cannot afford to donate money to food banks, donate your time! Your knowledge and your physical presence in your community will make an impact.
Just think if we all worked together to combat hunger disparities in every community….that would create a global impact!
You don’t like cost of eating healthy? Then I push you to contact legislators and community leaders and do something about it.
But, there are ways to get around that hefty price. Always check your newspaper for coupons, look for fliers advertising sales, and support locally-owned stores, who are more prone to give you a price cut because you live in the neighborhood. You can always choose to volunteer at a food bank!
It hurts me to realize that some parents in America have to choose between paying a house note or buying food for their children, but this is reality! Even when the parents can afford to buy food, there is a lack of knowledge on what the buy and how to be economical. Unfortunately, some families opt to buy the cheaper, calorie and carbohydrate-infested foods. As a result of constantly eating these cheap-but-unhealthy foods and snacks, this increases the high blood pressure, stroke, obesity and diabetes rates in our country. That means more trips to your doctor for prescriptions and more money these families have to come out of to keep themselves “healthy.”
What is the true definition of eating healthy or being healthy? It’s like we as Americans have two choices: buy the cheap-but-unhealthy foods and make more trips to the doctor for medicine or buy the expensive-but-healthy foods and not be able to pay some bills.
The malnutrition in this country is atrocious. But let’s not give up hope. There are lots of other organization out there combating hunger, waste and malnutrition in America everyday.
Here is a list of hunger relief organizations that also strive to keep Americans healthy at the same time. http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Issues_and_Causes/Poverty/Hunger/Organizations/Relief_Organizations/
What is hunger to you? I will tell you, hunger is not only in third world countries — Africa, as some may say. Hunger Hits Home, right there in your community. People have to decide which bill they are not paying in order for them to buy food. But, you can make a difference by spreading the word, donating money, volunteering at a local food bank, raising funds to support those struggling in your community! Become an official ‘Hunger Fighter’ with the Revolution Hunger campaign! We are a group of teens tackling hunger in our communities which is making a global impact — we aspire to decrease the amount of hungry folks!
A few images from RevHunger rocking the Global Youth Service Day in Washington, DC! Check out more on our Facebook page.
Teens—Intern With Revolution Hunger’s Outreach Team!
Hunger Fighters in San Francisco, Washington D.C. and Minneapolis/St. Paul—it’s time to join Revolution Hunger. We have openings for teen interns in each of those three cities. Read below for more information, and get in touch if you want to join the Revolution Hunger Outreach Team!
Read on to see the full description. We can’t wait to see your application!
Internship Description: Revolution Hunger Outreach Team, Revolution Hunger Campaign
Position Start: Rolling Basis
Locations: Minneapolis/St.Paul, Washington DC, San Francisco/Bay Area
Status: Quarter-Time Paid Internship
Position ends on May 30th, 2012
Who We Are
Revolution Hunger is a campaign that harnesses the power of teens to make a lifelong commitment to take on the problems of hunger and malnutrition around the world. We know that we can each help fight hunger, in our own unique way. Our goal is to drive teens to RevolutionHunger.org to learn how they can “Live it, Face It and Fight It” in order to become a Hunger Fighter! Revolution Hunger was developed by The Mathile Institute for the Advancement of Human Nutrition® in order to inspire the next generation to fight hunger and malnutrition around the world. For more information, please visit revolutionhunger.org.
We are currently looking to hire a team of 2-3 youth per city to become our street teams in three of our pilot cities.
About the Position
Revolution Hunger is looking for a passionate, web-savvy, and outgoing Teen Outreach members between the ages of 13-18 to join the Revolution Hunger Outreach Team. This individual will want to gain more skills in social media marketing, community outreach, organizing, and leadership skills. The ideal candidate is also passionate about working with peers to build a movement to fight hunger both locally and globally. We want a smart, fun-loving teens who can bring the movement to life through raising awareness of the campaign and building an online network of supporters. This is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain experience in a fun internship where you are an important part of our team.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis in all three cities until the positions (2-3) are filled.
Responsibilities
● Must be able to commit to 20 hrs/month for the duration of the project.
● Bring forth ideas on how to access a diverse base of teen leaders, service-oriented individuals, community organizations and high schools students online
● Helping to build a teen community and promoting the Revolution Hunger initiative, which includes:
○ Attending at least 2-3 fun teen events wearing your Rev Hunger T-Shirt and talking about the program
○ Speaking at your school about Revolution Hunger with your Regional Coordinator or
giving 2-3 presentations to high schools in your area
○ Work with your Regional Coordinator to develop a potential Revolution Hunger club at
your school
○ Taking photos or video of your outreach activities with your team!
○ Flyering and postering about RH in highly trafficked teen areas
○ Using facebook, twitter and tumblr to distribute interesting information about hunger to your peers
● Participate in twice a month team meetings and/or phone calls
Qualifications & Requirements
● Between the ages of 13-18 years old
● Interest and passion in solving hunger issues and promoting youth activism
● Outgoing, social, and a positive attitude toward life- you are a social organizer!
● Good written and verbal communication, don’t forget a sense of humor
● Accountability to yourself and your team
● Photography and video production skills a plus
● A love for social networking and building online communities
● Regular access to the Internet, computer, and a phone
Compensation
● A monthly stipend of $100 and a small travel budget
● One expenses paid conference opportunity in your city to promote Revolution Hunger!
● Revolution Hunger gear, and support from your local Regional Coordinator and the National Team
● A written letter of recommendation for future school or employment opportunities pending participation
How to Apply
Email your resume and answer the following question in a short cover letter that gives us a sense of who you are (~ 250 words) that answers the below questions. Send to lauren AT revolutionhunger.org Whatever you do, remember to let your playful digital creativity shine! Written or Video submissions are acceptable. Get creative.
1. Name
2. School
3. Age
4. Contact Information
5. What connections, groups or organizations are you a part of?
6. Why do you care about this issue of hunger? How are teens important to fighting it?
7. What makes you the next best Revolution Hunger Outreach Team Member?
Our friends over at ihungrr share their thoughts on what makes a great Hunger Fighter. What are yours? Let us know on Facebook, and get started fighting hunger on our website.
