Original article published in the Jewish Exponent on December 28, 2011

Opinion: Growing Income Disparity Also Equals Growth in Hunger
by Ruth S. Laibson

I am usually proud to call Philadelphia my home. But a recent study that highlights our city’s increasing income segregation contains some very disquieting facts that should challenge all of us to action.

The study, conducted by Stanford University, demonstrated dramatic growth in income segregation in the United States over the last four decades. Since 1970, both the poorest and the most affluent neighborhoods have more than doubled in size, while middle-income neighborhoods have shrunk by nearly one-third.

At a time when the disparity between the “haves” and “have-nots” is growing, the middle class is disappearing. Alarmingly, our city, which in 1970 was the 43rd most income-segregated metropolitan area in the country, has risen to third place. Even more disturbing, Philadelphia and its suburbs registered the sharpest rise in this segregation of any metropolitan area.

As the study notes: “The increasing concentration of income and wealth (and therefore of resources such as schools, parks and public services) in a small number of neighborhoods results in greater disadvantages for the remaining neighborhoods where low- and middle-income families live.”

The challenges abound. Children have fewer educational opportunities or neighborhood support services; adults facing economic hardship are far too often forced to make painful choices about how to stretch their limited dollars to cover even the basic necessities — shelter, medical care, food.

As a board member of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, one of the nation’s foremost food justice organizations, I am keenly aware of the shocking statistics about the prevalence of hunger in America. Fifty million Americans — including 17 million children — are too often unsure if or when they will have their next meal.

Nearly one in four U.S. households with children couldn’t afford enough food for themselves and their families in 2010. For households without children, 49 of 50 states reported food hardship rates higher than 10 percent in 2009-2010. In Philadelphia, one in four people struggles to put food on the table.

Charitable organizations, including MAZON’s nationwide partners on the front lines, are already doing their best to bear a heavy burden. How much more can we realistically expect them to shoulder?

Our elected officials are in the position to help alleviate this shameful situation. But with the current focus on reducing federal and state deficits, programs like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps), that have proven instrumental in reducing hunger and promoting better nutrition for families in need, are at risk of being severely cut back.

It is not too late to change this paradigm. We must band together to help those struggling for food and slipping into a lifetime of poverty and despair. We must urge our elected officials not to balance the budget on the backs of the least fortunate among us.

No one can predict with certainty where the economy is headed, but it seems clear that things are not going to improve quickly. We cannot allow our continued hard times to justify the destruction of the lives and hopes of millions of American families.

Ruth S. Laibson, a resident of Haverford, is a board member of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

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2. PB&J: A Jewish Teen Summit on Hunger
3. BUDGET: Threat to Food Stamps Lies Hidden in Ryan’s Plan

by Abby J. Leibman
President & CEO, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
December 23, 2011

As an advocate, I often spend my days in a state of outrage. I am buffeted by chilling statistics, the devastating experiences of families in need and the grindingly slow response by policymakers to those needs. I am also regularly stunned by the assumptions made about who is hungry in America, why they are hungry and what it will take to address hunger in America. There are 50 million Americans who aren’t sure if or when they’ll have their next meal. That’s a documented fact—a painful, challenging fact. But beyond recognizing that it is an astronomically high number, how much do we really understand about that fact?

If you think hungry people are just the inherently lazy and irresponsible, think again.
The spike in the number of hungry Americans comes substantially from those who’ve lost their jobs as a result of our struggling economy. The nation’s unemployment rate continues to hover around nine percent, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in May that the number of people who were unemployed for more than 52 weeks before being hired again in 2010 was nearly triple that of 2007.

If you think government programs enable needy people to live well on our tax dollars, think again.
SNAP provides about $1.40 per person per meal. SNAP is designed only to ensure that people receive some basic sustenance so they can contribute back to society and get off the program.

If you think hunger exists because we don’t have enough food, think again.
There’s enough wheat, rice, and other grains produced globally to provide every human being with 3,500 calories a day—that’s 75 percent more calories per person than are recommended in the USDA’s Nutritional Guidelines. Hunger persists in this country not because of a lack of food, but an absence of political will to solve the problem.

If you think our national predicament is reprehensible, then take action. We must all practice and promote a holistic approach to ending hunger in America—providing nutritious food to those in need today, and working to develop and advance long-term solutions so that no one need go hungry tomorrow. The time to end hunger in America is now. We urge you to join our fight.

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1. BUDGET: Threat to Food Stamps Lies Hidden in Ryan’s Plan
2. Published in the Jewish Exponent | Growing Income Disparity Also Equals Growth in Hunger
3. More Than A Shame – A Scandal!

If you were waiting for the “right” moment,
that moment has arrived.

Hunger in America has never been more prevalent. And yet, for the first time in generations, funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) could be in jeopardy. SNAP has historically enjoyed bipartisan support and protection. But the recent stalemate about the debt ceiling, and the “supercommittee” it spawned, has put the fate of this highly effective program – and the 46 millions of Americans who rely on it – at risk.
As this threat to nutrition programs has loomed large, MAZON has embraced its leadership role within the Jewish community and in the anti-hunger field. We have taken a firm public position in published editorial articles in major newspapers across the country. We encourage you to read these articles by clicking the appropriate link below:

What they’re not saying about hunger in America
- Des Moines Register, 8/30/11

Putting Jewish values on poor Americans’ dinner tables
- j. The Jewish news weekly of Northern California, 10/6/11

Americans need supercommittee to maintain food assistance
- Detroit Free Press 11/2/11

Where not to cut the budget
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution 11/5/11

We will continue to fight to preserve the vital support that allows so many of our fellow Americans to put food on the table. But we also need your help!

Join us by raising your voice as an advocate for the 46 million Americans who need our help. Urge your elected officials to preserve funding for the nutrition programs that prevent mass starvation in our country. Write, email, or call to remind them that you will not stand for the budget to be balanced on the backs of the most vulnerable among us.

Together, we can transform how it is into how it should be.

Reaching out to your legislators is easy. Follow the simple steps below:

• Dial the toll-free number: 1-877-698-8228
• When prompted, enter your zip code.
• Listen to the brief instructions, and you will be patched through to your Senator’s office automatically.

Once you’ve been connected to the first office, deliver this message:

Please weigh in with the Super Committee personally and urge them to reject any proposals that would cut anti-hunger programs like SNAP, TEFAP, CSFP, or WIC or other child nutrition programs during the deficit reduction process. Our nation cannot afford to increase hunger in America.

After the call, stay on the line. You will be automatically connected to your remaining legislators’ offices.

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2. BUDGET: Threat to Food Stamps Lies Hidden in Ryan’s Plan
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MAZON is a proud partner in Food Day: Monday, October 24, 2011. There are lots of ways to get involved – check it out!

Today: you can sign a petition urging Congress to support Food Day’s goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

On Monday – you can attend an event! There are tons of events scheduled to happen all over the country, designed to encourage conversation about what’s right and wrong with our diets and whole food system and how to fix them. The easiest way to find a way to participate is to visit foodday.org, search using the interactive map.

Anytime – you can find curriculum, videos and lots of other Food Day resources by clicking here.

It should be a great day – hope you’ll find a way to get involved!

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Please urge your Senator to sign on to this letter from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), which asks that SNAP and other low-income programs be protected in any deficit plan.

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2. An Open Letter to Nancy Pelosi
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Want to tell the world you join with MAZON in the fight to end hunger in America? Wear a MAZON sweatshirt!

MAZON sweatshirts are screenprinted on the back (only) with the message:
“I’m working to transform how it is into how it should be.”

Product details:
Manufacturer: Alternative Apparel
Pullover hoodie with kangaroo pocket
Super soft & comfy eco-fleece
Unisex sizes S – XL
$36 (suggested donation)

To get yours, contact Nicole at MAZON by phone 800.813.0557 or email.

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(Published on October 16, 2011 in j., the Jewish News Weekly of Northern California)

Putting Jewish values on poor Americans’ dinner tables

by Abby J. Leibman

At Yom Kippur, through tefillah, teshuvah and tzedakah, we recommit ourselves to improving our relationship with God and with our community. It is a time of reflection, repentance and responsibility.

So as Jews, what is our responsibility to the rising number of American families suffering from hunger and poor nutrition?

This is a question that MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger asks not only during the High Holy Days, but every day, as we seek to embody the Jewish ideals of tzedakah and tikkun olam.

The answer — or at least part of it — lies in the Farm Bill, which funds nutrition programs, farm subsidies and emergency food programs. But in order for the Farm Bill to effectively address our nation’s hunger issues and provide better access to healthier food, it needs both safeguards and changes. Only then will the Farm Bill reflect the values we as Jews have chosen to uphold.

First, we want the Farm Bill to protect and increase funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly called food stamps) to provide for the minimum nutrition needs for everyone who qualifies. SNAP is the cornerstone of our nation’s efforts to reduce hunger and promote better nutrition for families in need.

Forty-six million Americans, including one in four children, rely on SNAP benefits to eat. But current levels of SNAP assistance are inadequate to support a consistently healthy diet. After the benefits run out — which often happens after three weeks — families must either buy low-cost, highly processed and unhealthy food with what little money they might have, or worse, they must skip meals altogether. What kind of choice is that?

That’s not all. Although the block grants recommended by the House appropriations bill were defeated in the Senate, there still exists a threat of block granting in the Farm Bill. Without question, block granting SNAP will threaten its very existence.

In a block grant system, states would receive a fixed amount of federal funding for nutrition programs. But once the money reaches a state’s coffers, it can spend that money in any way it sees fit, even for programs unrelated to nutrition. Without a guarantee that SNAP provide adequate resources for families to meet their most basic needs and put healthy food on the table, the Farm Bill would abandon those who depend on food assistance for survival — flouting our Jewish ideals in the process.

Second, we believe there is a pressing need to create incentives for small farmers to make their products more accessible to all Americans. The Farm Bill’s provisions include subsidies for agricultural commodities such as corn and soybeans, virtually excluding farms that grow less-industrialized fruits and vegetables for consumers. Subsidies for smaller farms could help reduce the cost of produce at neighborhood grocery stores — an improvement that would help all families stretch their food dollar to purchase more nutritious food.

Third, we believe that food distributed through the Emergency Food Assistance Program — often known as the Farm Bill’s “surplus” food program — should be more nutritious, as well. Much of the TEFAP menu consists of canned fruits and vegetables, white rice, high-sodium soups and meats that tend to be high in saturated fat. What does it say about our priorities as a nation when we’re not giving the poor and the elderly better food options, and in the process, exacerbating long-term health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity that are often caused by a poor diet?

We want to see a much greater emphasis on foods that contain less processed sugar, less sodium, less saturated fat, and which contain more whole grains and fiber. We need not sacrifice health and well-being in order to provide sustenance to those in need, and we cannot heal the world until we heal ourselves.

A Jewish response to the Farm Bill requires not just education on each of these important issues, but engagement as well. So today I challenge you to help MAZON educate members of Congress, especially members of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, about the importance of these protections and changes to the Farm Bill.

Urge them to be proactive about ensuring that families in need can put healthy, nutritious food on their tables every day. Then, and only then, can we declare that the Farm Bill manifests Jewish values and our commitment to true tzedakah.

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Original article published October 6, 2011 by Susan Freudenheim, managing editor of the Jewish Journal in Los Angeles, CA. Reprinted with permission.

Are you hungry?

Chances are you’re only a short reach away from your next meal or snack. If you’re reading this on Yom Kippur, your wait is probably longer. But either way, when you say you’re hungry, you probably know where your next meal will come from.

On Yom Kippur, we fast to focus our minds. We give up food for 25 hours as a mitzvah, but it is also our choice.

That’s not the situation for more than 50 million Americans — right now, one in six Americans is living with food insecurity — which means they either are constantly at risk of being without their next meal or living with disrupted food patterns. This shocking number comes from a study just released by Feeding America, a food-relief organization. These people do not choose to be hungry.

And here are some even more stark statistics:

• 17 million of America’s children live with food insecurity.
• Only 10 percent of the 50 million are homeless.
• About 36 percent of food-insecure families include one working adult.

This problem is rampant in a country that prides itself on being one of the most affluent in the world.

Just over a week ago, an episode of the TV sitcom “Modern Family” showed Cameron and Mitchell indulging in extreme dieting. Deprived, they become depraved; crazy — really crazy. Champagne problems, really, because of course eventually they go off their diet. (Never mind how.) But the picture is real: Imagine having to live without nourishment.

A letter to the editor in last Saturday’s New York Times responded to a columnist who suggested that the $5 per person per day provided by the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps) is not ideal, “but enough to survive.”

The letter writer, a food-pantry director in Harlem, noted: “To survive on food stamps — let alone prepare nourishing meals — is nearly impossible.” In her pantry, people who receive SNAP benefits cook their beans from scratch yet still can’t get through the month without help. This is just as true in Los Angeles, as Julie Gruenbaum Fax reported in a story about SOVA in these pages last week.

I was thinking about all this as I approached my Yom Kippur fast, so I called my friend Abby Leibman, who in March became president and CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, the L.A.-based national nonprofit that works to prevent and alleviate hunger among all peoples. Leibman is a longtime social justice activist in the Jewish community, the one-time founding director of the Women’s Law Center and always an advocate for those who are most vulnerable. Leibman’s charge with MAZON is to increase its visibility, as well as its impact, she said. Founded in 1985, MAZON currently grants a total of about $3 million annually to 300 organizations nationally and worldwide, including food banks, food pantries, kosher programs and home-delivered programs for the food insecure. It also promotes advocacy and education related to hunger issues. Leibman said she hopes to double MAZON’s annual budget of about $5 million “so we can re-grant more money, and also do things on a systemic basis.”

The latest news about hunger in America is not news to people in her work, she said. But her own fresh eye has helped her take a sharper look at the terminology. For example, people often talk about food pantries like SOVA as part of the “emergency food system,” but it’s hardly just for emergencies anymore. For too many people, food pantries have become “the safety net that allows them to survive,” Leibman said. Since the downturn that began in 2008, we have seen a sharp rise in the number of people classified as poor, even as some in Congress are attacking the necessity of the government’s SNAP program. That SNAP needs to continue seems obvious. But, still, that’s not enough.

Many of us have picked up a bag to fill with food to bring to the synagogue sometime during this season, to contribute supplies for the local pantry. And if you’ve filled that bag already, more than likely you did so with food that travels easily and won’t spoil. Pasta, rice, cereal, canned goods. All this is sustenance, but not all that it takes to survive.

MAZON — which Charity Navigator has just raised to four stars, its highest rating for philanthropies — has just begun a promising new initiative to explore ways to distribute more fresh foods. Created in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, the program is called “Healthy Options/Healthy Meals” and is initially funding 12 food banks around the nation, helping them explore ways to make healthy and nutritious food more available to populations with specific needs, such as the elderly.

Leibman said she also wants to create an innovation fund at MAZON. After 25 years in the business, MAZON’s staff knows what works now, but they are looking for new ideas. For that, Leibman said, she needs to raise $1 million “to find and fund organizations doing something really unique. To give real seed money to get something off the ground.”

The challenge in pulling in new money like that is that, unlike some other kinds of charities, there’s nothing sexy about hunger, she said. But it’s not going away anytime soon. So it’s important to remember, “There are people who face life challenges that we can’t imagine and that we haven’t had to experience,” Leibman said. One in six Americans does.

And without knowing where that next meal is coming from, it’s hard to imagine how to move on. “I believe nobody can improve their life if they’re hungry,” Leibman said.

“It’s not brand new, but just think what it must be like to be living with it.”

Related posts:

1. MAZON welcomes Abby J. Leibman as President & CEO
2. MAZON and Healthy Options, Healthy Meals featured on The Huffington Post
3. Think again

May God give us the health and strength to follow through on our ideas to make this a better world.

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We are thrilled and honored that June Hersh has decided to donate to MAZON a portion of the proceeds from her latest cookbook, The Kosher Carnivore: The Ultimate Meat & Poultry Cookbook.

The Kosher Carnivore has been given rave reviews by Publisher’s Weekly, Hadassah Magazine, and Jewish Woman.

June describes her new cookbook as “a primer for anyone who wants to learn how to maximize the best ingredients, utilize the most savvy information, master the simplest techniques and create delicious food.”

We describe it as “Yum!”

Thanks so much June!

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