I use this space to celebrate Cleveland’s food community and all the wonderful things it has to offer. Week after week I write about new restaurants, events where food takes the spotlight, places to find the best of everything edible, our chefs’ accomplishments and all sorts of other culinary-themed stories. So it’s no wonder my Wednesday posts appear under the heading Feast!
But there’s another aspect to the topic, a dark side that most of us rarely consider: hunger. For all of us who eat well and regularly, it’s important to remember that it is a privilege not afforded to all.
A recent national study revealed a 46 percent increase in the number of people receiving emergency food aid from food banks and the agencies they work with since the last survey in 2006. That disturbing uptick translates into more than 37 million people, or one in eight Americans, at risk of not having enough to eat. Many of them live right here in northeast Ohio.
The Cleveland Foodbank, one of 185 food banks around the country that participated in the study, serves residents in six counties. They’ll feed an estimated 223,000 people over the course of this year. That’s a 23 percent increase over past years. Halfway through 2010, the organization is on track to distribute 30 million pounds of food to those who desperately need it.
But there’s another aspect to the topic, a dark side that most of us rarely consider: hunger. For all of us who eat well and regularly, it’s important to remember that it is a privilege not afforded to all.
A recent national study revealed a 46 percent increase in the number of people receiving emergency food aid from food banks and the agencies they work with since the last survey in 2006. That disturbing uptick translates into more than 37 million people, or one in eight Americans, at risk of not having enough to eat. Many of them live right here in northeast Ohio.
The Cleveland Foodbank, one of 185 food banks around the country that participated in the study, serves residents in six counties. They’ll feed an estimated 223,000 people over the course of this year. That’s a 23 percent increase over past years. Halfway through 2010, the organization is on track to distribute 30 million pounds of food to those who desperately need it.
On June 24, from 7–8 p.m., Mary O’Shea, Advocacy & Public Education Manager for the Cleveland Foodbank, will give a talk entitled “Hunger In America 2010.” It’s part of the Summer Lecture Series at Lucky Penny Creamery in Kent. Cost to attend is $5 per person, and all who buy a ticket receive a $5 Lucky Penny Creamery credit. Visit Abbe Turner’s Creamery again, and you can use it toward the purchase of the goat cheese she makes there. 632 Temple Avenue, Kent, 330-572-7550, abbe@luckypennyfarm.com
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