Roger and Nancy Gibson are an example of how the community in Pocatello comes together to support children facing insecurity. For many Idaho children, the meals they receive at school are their primary sources of nutrition for the day. The Idaho Foodbank’s Backpack Program supplements this food for some Idaho children by providing food for the weekend that fits in a child’s backpack on Friday.
This year, October is a particularly note-worthy month for The Idaho Foodbank. October 2021 marks the 37th anniversary of The Idaho Foodbank. In October of last year, we moved into our new facility in Meridian to help us continue to serve the entire state. This year we are marking the end of our successful Capital Campaign with an online grand opening of this new facility and you are invited!
University of Idaho’s (U of I) Homecoming is the first week of October. During this time, there will be a food drive at the University with proceeds going to the Vandal Pantry and The Idaho Foodbank. We are so appreciative of the student leaders at U of I for initiating this project to help fight food insecurity in Idaho!
The Idaho Foodbank’s Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report is out – and what a year it has been. The Idaho Foodbank distributed 30.9 million pounds of food in Idaho in our last fiscal year. This was a 38 percent increase in food distribution in Idaho.
According to the latest Map the Meal Gap report, it is estimated that 1 in 8 Idaho children may experience food insecurity this year. Food insecurity is more than having basic human needs go unmet – it has profound implications for education, health and quality of life. Most of us can understand the fear and stress that accompanies hunger, but there are unique challenges when a child is experiencing hunger.
Family Medicine Residency of Idaho (FMRI) recently honored The Idaho Foodbank with the inaugural Community Partnership Award for its effort to help those with food insecurity in the Treasure Valley.
We are in the middle of harvest season and our warehouse features a good variety of local produce. From the orchard in Caldwell, the pears are full and plentiful. Plums are also abundant. This season, we are starting to receive early onions from harvests that will continue for the coming months. We also have peaches that will be on their way to The Idaho Foodbank. Thank you to Idaho’s hard-working farmers for their generous donations.
Troy Food Bank, nestled in the hills in North Central Idaho, enjoys a picturesque landscape with beautiful small-town charm. June Miner and Leitha Witt are working to change the food landscape for community members. The pantry, located in the 100-year-old Seventh Day Adventist Church, is small but mighty.
The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced an update to the Thrifty Food Plan. The Thrifty Food Plan is used to calculate SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. SNAP is also referred to as food stamps. This Thrifty Food Plan update was required by the bipartisan 2018 Farm Bill. This modernizes SNAP to reflect healthy eating recommendations and food prices.
Crisp, sweet, and nutritious apples. They can be sliced, diced, and paired with delicious dipping sauces. Incorporating this nutrient-dense fruit in our diets can aid everything from digestion to protection against free radicals (cancer-causing molecules). Eating apples is a great way to incorporate more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C into our diet. In combination with a balanced diet, these nutrients can aid in chronic illness prevention. Apples are an easy, healthy snack with vast benefits!
September’s Staff Spotlight is on Rhoda Hall, who works in the Gift Processing Department in Meridian.
The Idaho Foodbank is hosting a statewide Back to School campaign for the entire month of September. In an effort to support kids all over Idaho who are experiencing hunger, the campaign will raise funds for the Backpack and School Pantry programs. There will be activities in the Treasure Valley and across Idaho during the month to support children through school-based programs.
