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Photo Gallery: Thrive Fest 2005, November 5

Photo Gallery: Fresno Community Garden Summit: "Growing Communities", April 15 & 16

More information about this exciting gathering on the Fresno Community Garden Coaltion home page

Updated UCLA Report on Hunger

Fresno Metro Ministry’s Community Hunger and Nutrition Forum is concerned of a repeat of hunger as serious as the Freeze of ’98. The FEMA funding for food and shelter has already been disbursed in Fresno County, and it is just getting cold; CalWorks welfare leavers will be off public benefits at the beginning of the year; and the conversion to EBT Food Stamps (debit card) will take place at the same time. All of this on top of 83,000 Fresno County adult residents Food Insecure, and at least 26,000 adults Food Insecure with Hunger, NOW.

Data released Election Day shows Hunger in Fresno and Tulare Counties, breadbasket of the world, to be the worst in the State with Food Insecurity rates of over 40% of the adult population. That is too many hungry adults, responsible for too many children. The UCLA CHIS study confirms that poverty, unemployment, and seasonal work do not put food on the table for families here. Significantly, this study does not include children, or farmworkers and others who do not have telephones. The response from our neighbors and elected representatives must be to create systemic, sustainable change in the torn safety net. The health and safety of this area are at grave risk.

FMM >> Hunger & Nutrition

Latest Information Downloads In PDF format April 12, 2006 Excerpts and Summary of: Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention from a Health Providers Perspective; Health Plans and Developing a Toolkit for Doctors Agenda/Register: March 8, 2006 Building Healthy Environments Community Food Assessment Flyer To download the Forum Notes since 2000, please click here.

The Community Hunger and Nutrition Forums supported by Fresno Metro Ministry provide an opportunity for members of the Fresno area to collaborate and problem-solve around specific issues of Food Security for our neighbors, and the impact hunger has on health. The goal of the Forums on Community Hunger and Nutrition is to increase the utilization of nutritional, culturally appropriate foods in Fresno through collaboration around specific issues and increased access to nutritious food by those who are hungry. Below you will find information regarding the time and location of the Forums, participants involved, themes, notes and evaluations for all previous Forums available for downloading, as well as sponsorship information. The agenda for next month's Forum is available in the box to the right.

The Forums are sponsored by Fresno Metro Ministry, and funded in part by the California Dept. of Health Services, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section by the US Department of Agriculture. Additional funding is provided by MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and the Rosenberg Foundation. The Community Hunger and Nutrition Forums take place the second Wednesday of every month from 12 Noon to 1:30 PM at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 3973 N. Cedar, Fresno, California (between Ashlan and Dakota on the West Side of Cedar). Complementary demonstrations of nutritious, economical, and culturally varied snacks are provided. There is no charge for participation.

Fresno Metro Ministry has been involved in community solutions to hunger issues over the last 30 years, primarily in response to hunger crisis: the Big Freezes of 1990 and 1998, the need for a Community Food Bank with adequate freezer space, and when issues of health and nutrition have became a focus of the community because of entrenched poverty. Fresno Metro Ministry has responded by gathering the people impacted and finding solutions. Beginning in 2000, with the support of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Hunger and Nutrition Roundtables were held in the spring. The focus was the training of local advocates by the California Food Policy Advocates, and learning about emergent issues of Food Stamps: finger imaging, and 'public charge' issues for immigrants. When Finger Imaging became a requirement for application for Food Stamps by California Law, this Forum began education on the issue. The recent Forums have addressed the effects of childhood hunger; the impact of hunger on families; cultural heritage around food and nutrition; systemic and legislative issues around food. A Policy Group has been established, and task groups are forming around identified gaps and barriers to all people in Fresno having enough nutritional culturally appropriate food.

Participants have included consumers, community based organizations, clergy, food policy advocates, providers of emergency food, school personnel, nutritionists, health care providers, children's advocates, governmental and welfare workers, agricultural representatives, health professionals, low-income persons, representatives of various ethnic groups, college and high school students, elected officials and their representatives, local media reporters and interested individuals.

One or two different themes are addressed at each Forum, with one or more speakers or presentations. Most Forums include a State Legislative Update and follow-up on previous topics. The Policy Group presents their progress monthly. An Inventory of Food Resources in Fresno is being compiled. Why 1000s of Kids are Hungry in Fresno gives information on the impact of food insecurity in Fresno.

The Community Hunger and Nutrition Forum invites your organization to sponsor one of the Forums. The $500 sponsorship supplements funding and outreach by the Forum. Sponsors are provided ten minutes at the Forum to feature their organization. They are also welcome to provide input on the theme for that month.

If you are interested in participating in the monthly Community Hunger and Nutrition Forums, please go to Contact Us to reserve space or sponsor a future Roundtable.

Download EBT resources, notes, and participant evaluations from previous Forums in Adobe Acrobat PDF format below.

To read the file in PDF™ format you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader™, which can be downloaded free of charge at the Adobe Systems Incorporated Web site.


Hunger & Nutrition Resources

Topic:  Download in PDF Format: Summer Lunch '06: Resources for Summer Lunch Download this file Summer Lunch '06: List of Summer Lunch Locations Download this file Summer Lunch '06: Flier for sites operating a Summer Lunch Program Download this file Summer Lunch '06: Flier advertising 800# for people looking for a site near them Download this file Farm Fresh Wednesdays: Report & Recommendations - February, 2006 Download this file Fresno Fresh Access: Community Food Assessment Report 2003-2005 - Summary Presentation 9/14/05 Key factors in food availability, accessibility, affordability and quality in Fresno County Download this file Fresno high schools get $1.7 million to peddle pop! 2 minute video of 8/10/05 Fresno Metro Ministry Forum See and hear the video "What's for lunch? Demand better meals in the schools, a supersized reality rears its head: truly healthy food costs more and getting kids to eat it is a battle in itself" by Kathryn Jessup- SF Magazine, Aug 2005 Download this file Fresno County Board of Supervisors Proclamation: 'March is Nutrition Month' Download this file Sustainable Farms, Healthy Communities: Building a Local Food Network - Community Alliance, Feb 2005 Download this file Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows/Congressional Hunger Center Report (2-4-05): GROWING HEALTH AND WEALTH - Food Stamp Outreach and Participation in California’s Central Valley and Beyond Download this file Press Release December, 2004: Selma Flea Market Goes High-Tech: Customers can now use Food Stamps to buy fresh produce Download this file Fresno County Board of Supervisors Resolution to to improve access to the Food Stamp Program Download this file Healthy School Environment Policy Committee Request to FUSD, dated 6-9-04 Download this file Elderly Hmong Food Security Data Survey Download this file EBT County Decisions 2002 Download this file Fresno Hunger Flyer Download this file Food Resources in Fresno Download this file Voices of Hmong Elders on Hunger, Nutrition, Healthcare and Needs for Recognition Download this file Sierra High students write about schools signing exclusive contracts with soda companies. Download this file Fresno County Hunger Summit Download this file Summer Lunch Regional Summit in Fresno Download this file Hunger Summit Food Stamp Program Handout Download this file Fresno County Food Stamp Chart 1998-2003 Download this file CHIS Report on Hunger and Food Insecurity in California Download this file

2006 Hunger & Nutrition Notes and Participant Evaluations

Date:  Topic: April 12, 2006 Excerpts and Summary of: Obesity and Chronic Disease Prevention from a Health Providers Perspective; Health Plans and Developing a Toolkit for Doctors March 8, 2006 Excerpts and Summary of Forum & Training: Building Healthy Environments February 8, 2006 Excerpts and Summary of: A Taste of the Farm - Report on Farm to School/Farm Fresh Wednesdays Pilot January 11, 2006 2006: The State of the Plate in Fresno

2005 Hunger & Nutrition Notes and Participant Evaluations

Date:  Topic: December 14, 2005 Access to Healthy Drinking Water Screening of excerpts from ‘Thirst’ November 9, 2005 Community Food Bank: A new day, building to meet the need and end hunger in Fresno- Sarah Reyes, CEO October 12, 2005 Central Valley Farm to School Workshop September 14, 2005 Fresno Fresh Access: Community Food Assessment Report August 10, 2005 Peddling to Children: Is industry going too far in our Schools? July 13, 2005 Senior Nutrition / Elder Hunger June 8, 2005 05 State of the Plate: A new study and policy brief from California Health Interview Study (UCLA) on Hunger and Food Insecurity, and how that relates locally to a Fresno Bee article that reported on the basic cost of living increases over the last few years here in Fresno. April 13, 2005 School Breakfast: from Farm to Classroom March 9, 2005 Setting Food Security Priorities February 9, 2005 New Policy Briefs and Research on: Food Insecurity and Health Outcomes in Fresno County and the Valley, Immigrant Children, Farmworkers, Community Food Assessment January 18, 2005 Fresno/Tulare Ending Hunger Report & Recommendations: Focused on Food Stamps

2004 Hunger & Nutrition Notes and Participant Evaluations

2003 Hunger & Nutrition Notes and Participant Evaluations

Date:  Topic: January 8, 2003 Get Ready for 2003: Learning Effective Advocacy Skills for Legislative Issues in a Tough Budget Year February 12, 2003 Child Nutrition: Linking Poverty, Access to Enough Food, and Food Quality Issues March 12, 2003 Gleaning Fresno's Bounty April 9, 2003 Community Food Assessment May 28, 2003 Hunger Action Day in Sacramento June 11, 2003 Follow-up to Childhood Obesity Stakeholder's Roundtable July 9, 2003 A New Release: Overweight and Unfit Children in California Legislative Districts August 13, 2003 The Rural Report: What's Happening in Fresno County's Rural Communities and How It Affects Access to Enough Food September 10, 2003 Nutrition and Health Disparities: Implications for Fresno October 8, 2003 Soda in the Schools November 12, 2003 Re-framing the Debate - Diet-based Chronic Disease: Individual choice or an issue of the environment? December 10, 2003 Geo-Mapping Food Access - The Fresno Community Food Assessment

2002 Hunger & Nutrition Notes and Participant Evaluations