Author: tmdgroup@yahoo.com

1/8/2016 – Turn to 10:  Many people might argue it’s impossible to eat healthy on a budget. But a newly published study indicates otherwise. Andrew Schiff, CEO of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, partnered with Mary Flynn, a research dietitian at The Miriam Hospital, to find out if lower income people would even be open to a plant-based diet with a healthy dose of extra virgin olive oil. Then, they wanted to find out if it would be cost-effective.  More

1/5/2016 – Boston Globe:  Read Article

Music Community Invites Venues and Events to Become “Hunger Down Zones”

 Venues and events are being asked to collect food and money automatically at all events to enhance collections and create public awareness

More than 200 artists, venues, and member of Rhode Island’s local music community have banded together to create Hunger Down, a project aimed at mobilizing the music and arts community to assist with hunger relief efforts in Rhode Island.

The primary project is the promotion of “Hunger Down” entertainment venues and events that collect food on an ongoing basis and expand existing food drive efforts. Our goal is to put Rhode Island on the path of becoming the country’s first “donate any time, anywhere” state.  More

12/28/2015 – Providence Business News:   Providence was one of 22 cities that participated in the 33rd annual assessment of hunger and homelessness recently conducted by The U.S. Conference of Mayors. And while homelessness was on the decline in Rhode Island’s capital city over the year, the main causes behind homelessness for both families with children and individuals were a lack of affordable housing, unemployment and poverty. The report said that the number of homeless families decreased 15 percent and the number of homeless individuals declined 5 percent over the past year. “This report reflects what we already know to be true. Cities and their partnering agencies, along with local charities and volunteers, have worked extraordinarily well together to respond to the needs of those who are hungry and homeless. Yet, despite their efforts, these challenges persist in an economy that, while on the mend, is still lagging,” Santa Barbara, Calif., Mayor Helene Schneider, co-chair of the Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness, said in a statement. “We want to underscore that even with exemplary local programs in place to help those in need, the effects of hunger and homelessness are still felt by many families across the nation. Our federal policies must respond to the growing pressure that the national economy has placed on many localities.”  More