Black Women Come Up Short On Funds And Food In COVID-19 Pandemic

Food waste costs billions of dollars a year and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. French government just passed a law banning grocery stores from destroying or throwing away unsold food, and instead directing it to those in need.

Padua Project is an innovative program that has a goal of getting poor people out of poverty in three years with a job, three months’ savings and off government assistance. Its unusual success involved a collaboration with other social services organizations. Overcoming the big challenge of this collaboration is an important learning tool to scale similar initiatives.

World Concern, a Seattle-based Christian humanitarian group, provides people around the world with vouchers they can use in select markets, rather than the traditional emergency food aid of rice and other grains. In Dhobley, Somalia, the solution of vouchers quickens the process of receiving the food and contributes to the local economy.

Even with all available help, New Yorkers miss about 100 million meals each year - food stamps are not enough. But some New York food banks allow for the homeless to choose their own food products, making healthy choices easier.

Food access for low-income Americans is still a challenge across the country. Campus Kitchen Project, a national community service project that operates at 53 colleges, leverages the readily-available manpower and compassion of university and high school students to help provide meals to those in need.

New Jersey was one of seven states chosen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to participate in a pilot program for SNAP recipients, where eligible participants can use food stamps for grocery purchases online for the first time.

New Jersey looks for those solutions being implemented successfully in other regions around the country to fight hunger in food deserts and poor neighborhoods, assessing what can be replicated in their local communities to address these issues.

With a major political party taking over the presidency, most governorships, Congress, and state legislatures, the minority party can feel powerless. However, there are effective ways to organize protests including using humor, acting locally, and intense planning strategies.

As protests begin to develop nationwide in opposition to a Trump presidency, Tina Rosenberg provides key reminders on good protesting. By highlighting lessons such as diversifying tactics, generating an inclusive brand, and having a concrete plan, the author provides an informative guide of effective organizing strategies.

Photos and videos show various actions religious leaders and institutions in Baltimore are taking to help rebuild their community and foster positive interaction in the midst of racial tension, looting, and rioting.