A final Thank You to those that helped / suggested ideas ~

how about a kind of food barter bank? let's say person A has eggs, or tomatoes in their garden. and person B has firewood to offer. if person A needs firewood and person B needs eggs, they could meet at a website and arrange to exchange. like an internet farmers market. the website could host barter credits, like cash credits, for more complicated exchanges. good luck!

Machaela said:

A final Thank You to those that helped / suggested ideas ~

If & when you find a suitable venue for your donations, please share with us.

XxAxX said:

how about a kind of food barter bank? let's say person A has eggs, or tomatoes in their garden. and person B has firewood to offer. if person A needs firewood and person B needs eggs, they could meet at a website and arrange to exchange. like an internet farmers market. the website could host barter credits, like cash credits, for more complicated exchanges. good luck!

There have been worldwide large scale attempts for this.

A start up company designed a virual system where local farmers around the world could offer their harvest and buyers from big companies and/or small local supermarkets/shops can sell the offers. My brother invested a lot of money in the company and lost it. It's not the money lost that is sad thoug, that's just the risk of investing. What is sad is that the good people can't win it from the greedy.

The middle men that make their money didn't like the system and made sure the buyers didn't buy into it. So, the farmers still don't get money that theyr harvest is worth and we are paying a high price to pay for the middle men their holidays, houses and mistresses. So, they can keep their inflated ego's intact.

Well, fortunately there are good people like Machaela.

dJJ said:

XxAxX said:

how about a kind of food barter bank? let's say person A has eggs, or tomatoes in their garden. and person B has firewood to offer. if person A needs firewood and person B needs eggs, they could meet at a website and arrange to exchange. like an internet farmers market. the website could host barter credits, like cash credits, for more complicated exchanges. good luck!

There have been worldwide large scale attempts for this.

A start up company designed a virual system where local farmers around the world could offer their harvest and buyers from big companies and/or small local supermarkets/shops can sell the offers. My brother invested a lot of money in the company and lost it. It's not the money lost that is sad thoug, that's just the risk of investing. What is sad is that the good people can't win it from the greedy.

The middle men that make their money didn't like the system and made sure the buyers didn't buy into it. So, the farmers still don't get money that theyr harvest is worth and we are paying a high price to pay for the middle men their holidays, houses and mistresses. So, they can keep their inflated ego's intact.

Well, fortunately there are good people like Machaela.

Thank you so much for this post!!!

People need to understand the politics around the nutrition shortage in America so they don't inadvertently feed into it.

Example; can drives. The food has labels, you can see that there is no nutrition there. So who is being helped here? The manufacturers, that is who. Why not give $$$ to then be transfered into food vouchers for vegetables at farmers markets etc?

Thank you again for keeping peoples eyes open to the truth!

I got a little curious and did a little checking around.

Also

I have informed the older Kids that I will NOT be gifting the Grands ~ expensive cheaply made toys from China this X-mas

Instead I am making a donation to St Jude's Research Hospital in their names instead

Machaela said:

Also

I have informed the older Kids that I will NOT be gifting the Grands ~ expensive cheaply made toys from China this X-mas

Instead I am making a donation to St Jude's Research Hospital in their names instead

You are a wonderful grandmother/teacher/example.

We're doing an art project to feed hungry (kids and adults) locally.

Have a Heart Project

johnart said:

We're doing an art project to feed hungry (kids and adults) locally.

Have a Heart Project

Another wonderful grandmother.

PunkMistress said:

johnart said:

We're doing an art project to feed hungry (kids and adults) locally.

Have a Heart Project

Another wonderful grandmother.

there is so much poitics behind this. first lady speaking to kids in schools; since when do kids buy the food and pay for it? as dr phil said, kids will eat what you cook for them, they will not starve. stop the can drives of high sodium foods that cause problems and make the grocery stores and middle man wealthy. give vouchers for fresh or frozen vegetables.

I am going to tell you all what is going on in my life: I messed up my banking and now am living in shelters for the remainder of the month at least.

The reason that i am planning on making this thread a regular stop is so ou all begin to understand what the hell is going on food wise with the poor in america.

First i woke up this morning at the shelter. We got grape juice and black coffee. Walmart had donated huge amounts of day old dounuts, cakes, pastries as well as month old yogurt which was fine to eat and also fruit plates. the apples and grapes in the fruit plate were fine but all the melon pieces were bad. Of course all this food given to the shelter is tax deductible and completely unsellable. It is a case of being generious with your garbage to make money.

Walmart is also very generous with holiday candy abiout a week after the holidays. They send that stuff to shelters and food banks nation wide.

Meanwhile the south east has some of the fatest and poorest Americans. They do not need this type of garbage.

eggs, sausages and biscuits were served.

i went someplace else and was there when they passed out snacks. Tangerines, good, and 9 inch long loaves of warm white bread were served(bad).

Luch at the second place looked like something from churches chicken or popeyes. A small piece of corn on the cob, fine'

more white bread,

2 pieces of dark fried chicken,

apple pie or cake,

lemonade,

Now i don't take all the food offered to me because i just got done loosing 35 lbs and i will not let my self gain it back. however it is very easy to see why the poor are both malnourished and fat.

At my last WIC appointment for Madi they said that they were also probably going to be losing their funding. Don't know if that is a PA thing or throughout the whole country. Can't believe it.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

At my last WIC appointment for Madi they said that they were also probably going to be losing their funding. Don't know if that is a PA thing or throughout the whole country. Can't believe it.

This is horrible.

WIC is more informed about breast feeding then the pediatricians.

They have recipes there and they ask many questions about exactly what you are feeding your child. This is not what the doctor is doing.

They have fake food there to show what a portion size is like.

There was a time when they were starting to also get involved in making sure that the parent was beginning to get the child dental appointments. Good oral hygiene in children under 5 is crucial to their oral health for the rest of their lives.

This program was one of the best run and kept many children who would have been drinking powdered milk or cows milk during the first 12 months, healthy.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

At my last WIC appointment for Madi they said that they were also probably going to be losing their funding. Don't know if that is a PA thing or throughout the whole country. Can't believe it.

WIC helped me so much, sad that it is losing it's funding.

morningsong said:

I got a little curious and did a little checking around.

SHARE Food Program of PA, Serving:
Pennsylvania, Delaware
New Jersey, Metro NY and the MD Eastern Shore

SHARE ?an acronym for Self-Help and Resource Exchange ?is a program where people get a break on their grocery bills by exchanging volunteer time for the opportunity to buy affordable food.?For each package of food purchased, we simply ask for two (2) hours of “good deed?time, whether at SHARE, other institutions in your community, or your own neighborhood.

Food packages (worth up to $45) offer meats, fresh fruits and vegetables and grocery items. SHARE purchases the food from growers, brokers and packaging plants. SHARE Food is never donated, government surplus, or salvage.

SHARE is unique: SHARE is for everyone; “If you eat, you qualify.? Everyone in the community can participate. Because it is for everyone, it can help break down barriers that divide people ? barriers like race, religion, social and economic classes, gender and age. ?lt;b>When we break down barriers, we can begin to see each other as real people, and begin to build community and neighborhoods.

SHARE is community service: Community service is defined as random acts of kindness, or service to benefit one’s neighbor or community. Anything you do for another person or organization without pay is community service. It might be helping a neighbor, teaching Sunday School, assisting a teacher, delivering meals to the elderly, organizing a group to clean up the neighborhood, setting up a crime watch, helping with scouts or little league, and many other things we may never have thought of!?You decide.?You report.?SHARE trusts you to do your part!

SHARE is a partner in the community: SHARE operates through Host Organizations which are run by churches, community centers, schools, businesses, senior centers and tenant councils. Host Organizations have two responsibilities: the first is to register people for purchases of SHARE packages and to offer them ideas about community service; the second is to send participants to help bag food, and to pick up and distribute food on distribution day at their Host Organization.

In summary: SHARE is truly a Self-Help and Resource Exchange program. It is an opportunity for people to share their gifts with the community and get something in return. For some it means stretching their food dollars, while for others it is the difference between having food on the table or going hungry.

1. NC, SC, 406 Deep Creek Road, Fayetteville, NC 28301, 910.485.6923 & 1.800.758.6923 http://www.ncsharenetwork.com/

2. NC, TN, VA, WV, 644 W. Main St., Radford, VA 24141, 540.633.2850 http://www.swva.net/nrca/...-share.htm

3. VA, Newport News, 9912 Hosier St., Newport News, VA 23601, 757.596.7188

4. IL, IN, WI, 13111 W. Silver Spring Dr., Butler, WI 53007, 262.783.2500 & 1.800.548.2124 http://www.sharewi.org

5. MD, DC, PA (S), WV, VA Northern & Newport News, 5170 Lawrence Place, Hyattsville, MD 20781, 301.864.3115 & 1.800.217.4273 http://www.sharedc.org

6. FL & GA, 1405 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa, FL 33605, 813.248.3379 & 1.800.536.3379 http://www.shareflorida.org

7. NM, 505.565.9054, Espanol: 505.306.3924

8. CO, NE, NM, SD, WY, 9360 Federal Blvd., Denver, CO 80221, 303.428.0400 & 1.800.933.7427 http://www.sharecolorado.com

9. CO, 9360 Federal Blvd., Denver, CO 80221, 303.428.0400 & 1.800.933.7427

10. KA, MO, NE, OK, Share CO 1.800.933.7427

11. Iowa, Missouri, Eastern Nebraska, 1102 South 7th Street, Oskaloosa, IA 52577-0328, 641.673.4000 & 1.800.344.1107 http://www.shareiowa.com/

12. Illinois & Indiana, 1825 NE Adams St., Peoria, IL 61603, 309.637.0282 & 1.800.637.5508

13. WA, 4020 South 56th Street, Mail: Suite 100, Street: #103, Tacoma, WA 98409, 1 (877) 570-7757

14. CA, 517 West Bradley, El Cajon, CA 92020, 619-590-1692 http://www.goldensharefoods.com
    

I think we need more programs like this. I am bumping this thread because I think it is probably one of the most meaningful threads we have had on here in a while. Healthy food for children is as essential for their mental and emotional developement as decent schooling IMO.

Let's not forget John;

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