Join the Food Fight: Libraries and Food Insecurity

Today, our team talks with Dr. Noah Lenstra of the University of North Carolina Greensboro where he is an Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science.  We're covering some slightly different ground as we go beyond just food insecurity and talk about libraries as community health and wellness hubs as well.  You can find out more about Dr. Lenstra by following him on Twitter @LetsMoveLibrary  and via his website https://letsmovelibraries.org/.     

Today we talk with representatives Misty Davis and Charity Blair of the Ohio Department of Education's Office of Integrated Student Supports.  We talk about some usual topics, but from a new perspective.  Summer Food Service Program, CACFP, Afterschool Meals, At Risk Students and more.   http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student-Supports

Join us as we speak with and learn from Martha Hansen, Assistant Director of the Woodstock Public Library in Woodstock, Illinois.  She tells us about the ever expanding free pantry, Thanksgiving program, and winter clothes closet and the partnerships they have created in the process.  Recorded 03-08-2021 Links mentioned in the podcast: https://www.woodstockpubliclibrary.org/library/page/public-pantry https://www.facebook.com/WoodstockPublicLibrary/ https://www.cslpreads.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/the-public-pantry-at-the-woodstock-public-library.pdf https://www.cslpreads.org/libraries-and-summer-food/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/cslpfeeds    

Join Team Vittles as we talk with friends from the Ohio Association of Food Banks, The Food Bank, Inc. of Dayton and the Fairborn Community Library about how libraries and food pantries can work together to fight hunger, the innovative new ePantry pick-up program, and how you can get Vista Volunteers to help with your summer food program.  

We invited Ashley Roudebush from Children's Hunger Alliance back to talk with us about options for libraries and other non-profits to fight hunger during the school year.  Covid is wreaking havoc on jobs and people's ability to put food on the table.  Children's Hunger Alliance can be a great partner for providing no-touch, grab & go meals for your community at this time.  Find out more about the program and how you can get involved!

Join us as we talk with Children’s Hunger Alliance(CHA), Daily Needs Assistance Plain City and the State Library of Ohio.  Our May 06 conversation details CHA's response to COVID, their shelf-stable food model that makes it easier to be a site, and the changed eligibility and requirements for SFSP through at least June 30.  Oh yes, Murder Hornets force their way into the conversation as well. Visit www.teamvittles.org for more information about this episode.

Today, Shane and Sarah discuss, in broad strokes, some of the programs available to libraries and project what we could see in the near future: SFSP and CACFP can allow you to provide meals during the summer and the school year Partnerships with pantries give you access to a broad range of programs depending on your particular Feeding America Food Bank You can become a pantry! ...and more