On Ending Hunger. And Poverty

This will likely surprise you. I know it did me.



I saw a quote a couple weeks ago, haven't forgotten it and couldn't agree more.

"There's so much absurdity. Poverty is so absurd." - Frank McCourt, author.

June 1: International Children's Day

From Wikipedia:

Children's Day is recognized on various days in many places around the world, to honor children globally. It was first proclaimed by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in 1925 and then established universally in 1954 to protect an "appropriate" day.

International Day for Protection of Children, observed in many countries as Children's Day on June 1 since 1950, was established by the Women's International Democratic Federation on its congress in Moscow (22 November 1949). Major global variants include a Universal Children's Day on November 20, by United Nations recommendation.

Missouri?

Have you no shame?



If you have any doubt, it's from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual report on food insecurity:

Of all the ways Missouri has grabbed national headlines in recent months, this might be the worst:

Missouri is No. 1 in the nation in hunger.

This distinction can be found in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual report on food insecurity, released on Wednesday.

Never worry about where your next meal is coming from? You’re food secure, like 85 percent of the people in the nation.

Unfortunately, nearly 1 in 6 Missourians, or 16.7 percent of them, are food insecure.

That means that at least once in the past year, in most cases several times, they skipped meals because they didn’t have enough food. Money ran out. Or they got by on less nutrition than they needed just to spread out the food they could afford.

Last year, Missouri ranked 7th worst in the nation in food insecurity. For those more extreme hunger cases, classified as “very low food security,” Missouri had the second highest rate in the country. Arkansas was first. Those with “very low food security” sometimes go an entire day without eating.
That’s bad enough.

But when compared to the numbers from a decade ago, Missouri’s negative change, that is the number of people falling into hunger, is worse than any other state in the nation.
____________________________________________

Not Mississippi. Not Alabama. Not Georgia. Not another poor, Southern state.

Missouri.

Number one in food insecurity.

So, all you representatives in Jefferson City. You want to do something about this?

I mean, instead of regulating women's reproductive rights.

Or trying to ban Federal regulations of guns.

 

Missouri, Kansas rankings on annual "KIds Count" survey

Here's where you stand to date, Missouri and Kansas on the things that are important, overall, for the children of our respective states (click on picture for easier reading):

Missouri, number 27, overall and Kansas 16.

We have work to do, folks.  It's for our children.

There is a TON of great, hard data here, too. Here's a Yahoo! News article on it, with links:

Best—and worst—states to be a kid

Here's a link to the actual organization that compiles the data:

Kids Count

and this:

KIDS COUNT - Annie E. Casey Foundation

And their Facebook page, since I'm kind of supporting them here:

KIDS COUNT | Facebook

Finally, information on the group as to who they are and what they do:

Annie E. Casey Foundation - Wikipedia

Really, does this make sense?

I've wondered this myself many times.

Why does a salad, for pity's sake--a small salad--cost more than a hamburger?

Of course, we know the answer.

The answer is that this is "free-market Capitalism" so companies charge whatever they wish on whatever they choose.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating or suggesting we should have laws making this illegal, far from it.

What I'm saying is that businesses and business people should have morals and practice them in their businesses.

It's not going to happen, not in America but there you are.

Way to go, McDonald's.

Just know, we're not "Lovin' it."

Link: Americans unaware of most obesity risks

Very cool Harvesters news today from Richard Petty and Farmland Foods

FARMLAND FOODS ANNOUNCES $50,000 DONATION TO HARVESTERS AS RESULT OF SUMMER “BACON A DIFFERENCE” CAMPAIGN

Above, from left, Mike Brown, President and Chief Operating Officer; Farmland Foods, Dan Weaver, Harvesters Board Member; George Richter, President and Chief Operating Officer; Smithfield Foods Pork Group; Richard Petty, NASCAR driver and member of NASCAR Hall of Fame. Courtesy: Protential LLC

Partnership provides more than 250,000 meals for Kansas Citians and raises awareness of hunger issues in Farmland’s hometown

Kansas City, MO (October 18, 2012)—Farmland Foods and Richard Petty today presented $50,000 to Harvesters—The Community Food Network as a result of a summer-long campaign to raise awareness about hunger in the Kansas City area. During the “Bacon A Difference” campaign, which ran from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Farmland donated 4.3 cents to Harvesters for each bacon package purchased at participating grocery stores in Kansas City.

In addition, today Farmland Foods donated more than 5,000 packages of signature Hickory Smoked, Thick Sliced Hickory Smoked, Lower Sodium/Less Fat, and Re-sealable Applewood Bacon, helping to ensure families, children and seniors across the region have access to much-needed protein.

“On behalf of Farmland, I’d like to offer my heartfelt thanks to all of Kansas City for their exceptional support of our ‘Bacon a Difference’ campaign this summer,” said Mike Brown, President and Chief Operating Officer of Farmland. “It is through your generosity that Farmland is able to provide a staggering 254,000 meals to families, children and seniors in need in our hometown this fall.”

Beyond today’s donation, Farmland also is raising awareness of Harvesters’ mission by featuring the organization on the legendary No. 43 Ford at the Sprint Cup Series Race at the Kansas Speedway this weekend. If the No. 43 Ford wins Sunday’s race, Farmland has pledged to double the donation to Harvesters for a total donation of $100,000.

“Through Farmland’s partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports, we are taking advantage of this unique opportunity to spread the word about hunger relief efforts to a broad audience,” said George Richter, President and Chief Operating Officer of Smithfield Foods Pork Group.

“We are excited to kick off race weekend with Farmland’s generous donation to Harvesters. Our team is proud that Farmland and Harvesters will appear on the No. 43 Ford at the Speedway this Sunday,” said Richard Petty, legendary racecar driver and team owner.

In addition to cash and bacon donations, Farmland is committed to supporting Harvesters’ hunger relief efforts through ongoing employee volunteering and activation. Since April 2012, Farmland employees have donated more than 400 hours of service to Harvesters. This month has been designated ‘Fight Against Hunger’ month at Farmland Foods. Employees are collecting canned goods and nonperishable items with the goal of overflowing the Harvesters barrels stationed through the Farmland offices in Kansas City.

“Farmland Foods has set a high standard for corporate involvement and demonstrated a company-wide commitment to Harvesters’ mission of feeding hungry people today and working to end hunger tomorrow,” remarked Karen Haren, President and CEO of Harvesters.

About Farmland Foods

Farmland Foods, Inc., based in Kansas City, Mo., provides a broad selection of pork products to retail and foodservice customers in the U.S. and abroad across a variety of categories, including bacon, fresh pork, hams, fresh sausage, hot dogs and lunchmeat. Farmland Foods has a large and growing international business, exporting products to more than 60 countries across six continents. Since its founding in 1959, the company has maintained a proud heritage of working side by side with American farm families. Farmland Foods, which reached over $4 billion in sales in 2011, is a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods.

About Harvesters—The Community Food Network

Harvesters is this area’s only food bank and was Feeding America’s 2011 Food Bank of the Year. Serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 620 not-for-profit agencies including emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes and others. Agencies in Harvesters’ network provide food assistance to as many as 66,000 different people each week. Harvesters, which was founded in 1979, is a certified member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, serving all 50 states. For more information, visit www.harvesters.org.

About Richard Petty Motorsports

Richard Petty Motorsports (http://www.richardpettymotorsports.com/), co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force and STP, and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partner Stanley and DEWALT. In addition, Michael Annett wheels the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.

Kudos to you, Mr. Petty, and your organization and thank you. Many thanks to you, Farmland and yes, Harvesters, for sure.

Here's Christianity for you

Not Capitalism, no, absolutely not, but what Christianity--or modern life--should be:

Quote of the day

I say again, we need to get the big, ugly, corrupting money out of our election system and so, our government. Until we do that, nothing will change.

Beautiful music, with a message

If you can listen to this beautiful song, please take the same time to watch--and read--the video.
It has a great and important message.

We are our brothers'--and sisters'--keepers.

(Thanks to Donna--"Just Me" blog--for the link and inspiration).

Famine--the real obscenity

So what are we going to do about it? Link:

Kansas and Missouri, No.'s 3 and 4 on "States with the Deadliest Eating Habits"?

Yikes.

Mississippi, on this list, I guessed.  I thought sure neither Missouri nor Kansas would be on it but there we are:

10 States With the Deadliest Eating Habits

4. Kansas

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.35 (7th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $610 (19th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (12th most)

Kansas has some of the easiest access (seventh-best) to stores where cheap and healthy food is available. It is clear, however, that most residents do not take advantage of this, as the state has one of the worst diets in the country. Residents consume the 12th-most sweet snacks per person as well as the 12th-most solid fats -- more than 20 pounds per person. The state ranks 28th in adult diabetes and 31st in obesity -- 28% of the state's adults are considered overweight.

3. Missouri

Grocery Stores Per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (22nd)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $623 (21st least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 65 (18th highest)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (17th most)

Missouri does not rank especially poor in any of the metrics considered, however it does rank badly in about almost every one. It has the 11th-lowest rates of adults eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, the eighth-greatest rate of food insecurity, and relatively high rates of soft drink, sweet snack and solid fats consumption. Missouri has the ninth-worst rate of obesity among adults, with 30% having a body mass index greater than 30.

And only Alabama (at no. 2) and Mississippi are worse, for pity's sake.  I can hardly believe this. 

Additionally, so you know it's not some bogus, trumped-up Forbes Magazine article that's putting this out, it's from the "Recent data reported in medical journal Lancet" and it "showed that BMI (Body Mass Index), a recognized measurement of obesity, is higher on average in America than in any other nation."

Note, too, that it's not just an obesity ranking, it's the "deadliest eating habits" And from a medical journal.  Yow.

Not a good list to be one, by a long shot, eh, folks?

Pass the popcorn.

...and butter, while you're at it.

Link to original post:  http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112083/10-states-with-the-deadliest-eating-habits

New report on "Child Food Insecurity": Missouri in top, worst 5

From the internet just now: Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008 was funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Feeding America’s exclusive Leadership Partner in the Fight to End Child Hunger. The study includes a comprehensive list of state rankings that also names Missouri, Mississippi, Georgia, Maine, South Carolina, Florida and Oregon, as well as the District of Columbia, at the top of the list. Like we give a damn. Link to original post: http://feedingamerica.org/our-network/the-studies/child-food-insecurity.aspx Link to complete study: http://feedingamerica.org/our-network/the-studies/~/media/Files/research/state-child-hunger-2010.ashx?.pdf