Food insecurity doesn’t stand alone and is simply a symptom of one or more -isms: racism, sexism, classism, ableism, ageism, capitalism. What you may not know, however, is that other symptoms of these -isms include un-or-underemployment, lack of affordable housing, poor health, and crime. Violence and crime are disproportionately higher in areas and communities with poor public education, lack of community investment and economic opportunity. Additionally, these communities are often over policed, poverty stricken and traumatized and crime is often committed to ensure necessities are met or so that the pain is eased. Incarceration is rarely the answer for those who just need opportunity. Incarceration does not alleviate the systemic challenges individuals faced prior to incarceration; in fact, it fuels it by perpetuating disparities. To explore and talk about this vast, nuanced, and interconnected problem, your Just a Bite hosts have a conversation with Professor Karen Benton at Clark State College to talk about the context and connection between access to basic needs and recidivism rates, why food and other basic needs are so critical once someone is released, and what innovative programs are available in Ohio to support system-impacted individuals as they are release. After talking with Karen, you will hear us speak with Mary Evans, Re-entry Manager at the Foodbank, Inc in Dayton and returning citizen herself to talk about her experience being system-impacted and to share her expertise when it comes to supporting folks post-release.   

References: 

Check out Re-Entry Stories and West Dayton Stories produced by Mary Evans at WYSO.  

Mary is also the co-founder of The Journalism Lab, a collaborative that empowers citizen correspondents to learn the foundations of journalism and report on what is happening in their local communities.  

“It’s my mission to give my community a voice” by Mary Evans, in Dayton Daily News.  

For those who are formerly incarcerated, Mary shared a resource that helps connect, lift up, and consult fellow system-impacted individuals, From Prison Cells to PhD.  

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.      

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Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.