Category: News

May 17, 2016: Rolling Stone Tom Morello’s fervor for a just planet is the hallmark of his music, earning him a place as one of popular culture’s loudest social consciences. Monday night, the Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, and the Nightwatchman guitarist received the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award from WhyHunger?, an organization dedicated to eliminating famine and poverty across the globe. Morello joined fellow honoree Kenny Loggins for a ceremony at New York City waterfront venue The Lighthouse. “Poverty and hunger are not these facts that just came with the universe,” Morello told Rolling Stone before taking the stage to accept the honor. “They’re man-made, and they’re a crime. I feel that WhyHunger? are crime fighters of the highest order, and it’s my pleasure to be affiliated with them.” More

May 15, 2016 – NPR:    In Florida, homeowners have a propensity for landscaping. They take great pride in the green carpet of grass in front of their homes. But one Florida man is working on a project that’s turning his neighbors’ lawns into working farms. Chris Castro has an obsession — turning the perfectly manicured lawns in his Orlando neighborhood into mini-farms. “The amount of interest in Orlando is incredibly surprising,” Castro says. More

5/15/2016 – Providence Journal:   In the space of a single sentence, Sue AnderBois, the first-ever director of food strategy for Rhode Island, compared herself to a train conductor and then to WD-40.
That’s not as confusing as it may sound. As she told it — with palpable energy and at breathless pace — Rhode Island already has an incredible array of local farms, food producers, markets and restaurants. She sees herself as the person to help all the pieces of the state’s food system coordinate better, sort of like a train conductor, and working more smoothly, like, well, WD-40. “Rhode Island has all these different assets and it’s my job to make them all work together,” she said. “The idea is to look at the whole thing and come up with recommendations, from ground to waste.”
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1 of 52  Hunger Network

Guidelines for Performing Artists and Others Who Want to Make a Difference

A benefit can be as simple as a small donation of a portion of proceeds from a tiny bar gig, to something as ornate as a full-out multi-performer concert with corporate sponsors, extensive publicity, merchandise raffles, etc. In any case, a benefit is a wonderful way to bring new support to a charitable organization, new attention and credibility to an artist, and new magic and meaning to a performance and an artist’s career. These guidelines are primarily intended for up-and-coming artists who want to help out but may not have the resources or audience to do something big, but they also include ways to make an event bigger. To figure out what works for you:  Read Article

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

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The 2015 Status Report on Hunger in the Ocean State is out Monday from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. The rate of food insecurity in Rhode Island has declined slightly since the peak following the recession, but thousands of Rhode Island families continue to struggle to meet basic food needs. Food Bank CEO Andrew Schiff said the state’s sluggish economic recovery has had little impact on those most in need.  More

11/23/2015 – Providence Journal:   According to the RI Community Food Bank, one in 8 Rhode Islanders lacks adequate food. The federally funded carton of food Maria Peralta received Friday at Pierce Manor makes all the difference, she says. Beans, peanut butter. Cereal. Canned fruits and vegetables. Shelf-stable milk. Without that USDA food, Peralta might not make it through the month.
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