Feeding America has published its 2015 Map the Meal Gap Study, an annual report that provides county-level estimates of food insecurity in the United States.
The research shows that 15.5 % of Mainers, or 206,000 people, are food insecure, meaning that at times they lack access to adequate food for a healthy lifestyle.
Feeding America has created an interactive map that allows viewing of how widespread hunger is in our communities. You can see the map at www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Oh, Fish Sticks!
Good Shepherd Food Bank has added a new purchased product: Frozen Fish Sticks!
Why everyone should be eating more fish!
Fish contain the good-for-you fats called Omega-3s. These vital nutrients may help lower the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia, and arthritis. Because our bodies can't make Omega-3s, we need to eat them, and fish is a relatively easy way to get these essential fats.Are you getting enough fish in your diet?
The American
Heart Association recommends eating fish at least two times per week,
with a serving size of about 2-3 ounces (about the size of a deck of cards or
the palm of your hand). If eating fish
sticks, the serving size is generally 3 fish sticks. The more fish or Omega-3s
you can get into your diet, the greater the effects on your body’s ability to curb
inflammation in the blood vessels and slow plaque buildup inside blood vessels.
Fresh, frozen or canned are all great options.
Tuna isn't the only fish that comes in a can. Salmon does, as
do many others. Should you use canned fish
over fresh? It depends. Canned tuna, salmon and other fish are relatively
inexpensive ($2.00 for a can of fish as compared to $8-12 a pound for fresh), they
have a long shelf life and the fish is cooked and
ready to use. Be aware, though; canned fish is higher in sodium than fresh and
some canned fish comes with skin and bones. Did you know frozen fish is just as good if not
better than buying the fresh filet? Most fish available in retail stores is
frozen at sea (FAS) and then thawed for display at the store. So head to the
frozen section for your fish! Good Shepherd Food Bank’s new offering of Frozen
Fish Sticks can help your patrons increase their fish intake!
Make your own Tartar Sauce:
½ medium lemon½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Quick Honey Mustard:
½ cup spicy brown mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
Monday, April 20, 2015
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive 2015 is on May 9th!
The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is Saturday, May 9th. For information on this year's drive, go to the NALC's website. There is not only information but also downloadable artwork, children's activities, a toolkit, and contact information for Maine's regional coordinators!
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Capacity Building Grant – FAQ Part 2
Thank you to
all the agency partners who called into the conference calls on April 1st,
6th, or 13th. We
wrote down your questions and wanted to make them available to others who may
not have been able to participate in the calls. (These questions are in the
order they were asked on the phone calls, and all questions are listed here, so
some information may seem repeated.)
Please let
your Agency Services Team know if you have other questions, concerns, or need
more information.
Completed
applications are due Friday, May 29th!
Q: CBG Application Question #4. How might
we quantify effectiveness of a strategy such as adding shelving to increase efficiency
of pantry operations?
A: For some
capacity building projects the effectiveness of the changes can be measured
qualitatively. Volunteers should sit down together when thinking about their CB
goals and figure out what they want to see improve and that should lead to what
to measure. Kathy gave the example that they could monitor volunteer hours to
complete a task before the new shelving vs. hours to complete after new
shelving or how a more efficient storage model would save volunteers time to do
other things.
Q: May more than one project be submitted
on one application?
A: Yes. If
there are several ideas that the program wants to implement to build capacity
they still all need to fall under the $5000 maximum. No agency will receive
more than $5000. Also, if multiple projects are proposed, some part of the
overall plan may be funded instead of the total. Reasoning on how it will build
capacity should be included for each project proposed.
Q: Would a box truck to transport food be
considered for grant funding?
A: Yes, if
it is tied to capacity building efforts of the program. Another caller talked
about their affordable version of this that might work well for other programs.
They are using a CoolBot cooling device to turn a tow-behind trailer into a
cold transport vehicle for under $5000.
Q: Would a project to partner with the
Maine Community Health Worker Initiative to train a food pantry volunteer to
become a community-based public health worker to link people to health and
social services through the pantry be an appropriate grant request?
A: Yes, if
proper details are provided about how this would enhance the pantry’s services
and how the money would be utilized, this sounds like an innovative and
promising program.
Q: Is the program required to get a
community match for the grant amount they are requesting?
A: No.
However, if you plan to use the Capacity Building Grant as a kick start to a
matching funding request in your community, please let us know on your
application.
Q: Are program’s going to be selected based
on how large they are or how high they score themselves on the Self-Assessment
for Partner Agencies at this time?
A: No. We recognize
that all of our partners are at different stages of program development and
capacity building. Applications will be evaluated based on the strength of the
capacity building goals as detailed in the application, the link between the
goals and the Self-Assessment findings, and the likelihood that the capacity
building goal will create sustainable changes after the funding period ends.
Q: When completing the Self-Assessment, our
program falls somewhere between two levels on the rating scale. Or, in some
cases our program meets all except one part of the level. What should we
choose?
A: If two
categories seem to fit when filling out the Self-Assessment, mark both and
underline or highlight all the items that best describe your organization. If
parts of the category don’t apply, simply cross out the information that does
not describe your organization.
Q: Can a program applying for a Capacity
Building Grant submit supplemental materials that better show or describe the
project/needs, such as photos of graphs?
A: Yes! A
committee will be reviewing the CBG applications and some committee members may
not be familiar with your program. Details are appreciated.
Q: What if the applied amount for through
the CBG is less than that which is received by the partner agency? So, if a
specific model of refrigerator costs $1000 and that is what is requested, but the
Food Bank awards $700, does the agency need to come up with the difference in
order to buy the exact same model proposed?
A: No, Good
Shepherd Food Bank will work with the partner if the full amount requested is
not awarded to determine how any changes to the original proposal will impact
what is purchased with the award.
Q: Why the change from Matching Challenge?
How much money will be distributed through the CBG program?
A: Not only
food is needed by partners, and this gives the opportunity to purchase some of
the “other” items that are needed.
Partners are often challenged to find funding for projects or
infrastructure (technology, refrigeration, or training) but want to enhance
their service. We do not know exactly
how much money will be awarded yet.
Q: How closely the self-assessment results
needs to be tied to the request for funding? Does an area that you are doing
well in already exclude you from asking funding in that area?
A: No. The
Self-Assessment is a tool to be used to assess your capacity. The grant
application is competitive; as long as you can show how what you are applying
for is going to further build your capacity, your application will be
considered.
Q: How long after the grant is awarded does
the money need to be spent?
A: It depends
on the project and how soon the project will be able to be implemented. Details
about this will be discussed with awardees and timeline will be sent with
specific award letters.
Q: Does the application need to be a
cohesive ask? Can you apply for multiple projects that are not necessarily
related?
A: You can
apply for multiple projects within the $5000 limit. Clear explanations about why
each project is going to help build your capacity are needed. If awarded a CBG
grant, it is possible that only part of the request will be funded.
Q: Can you apply for a grant to buy food?
A: Possibly.
Some examples that might be considered would be to buy food to appeal to
special dietary considerations (such as demand for gluten-free) or some other
special project to increase ability of the program to better serve the needs of
their community. Compelling arguments for the need should be clearly expressed
in the application.
Q: Can funds be used for purchases already
made?
A: No. Receipts
for purchases need to be dated after the grant awards are made.
Q: Would empathy training for volunteers be
considered for funding?
A: Yes.
Volunteer training tied to capacity building that will allow your program to
better serve your community would be considered.
Q: Would a volunteer recognition event be
considered for funding?
A: No, not
unless there was a clear indication of how it would help your program build
capacity to serve your community.
Q: Would expanding service into the area
high school be considered for funding?
A: Yes, if
it is a satellite distribution of your program that will expand your reach into
the community. However, there is often money specific to funding child hunger
programs that would be important to explore before we would consider using
capacity building funds for such a project.
Q: Will you consider funding nutrition
education activities?
A: Yes, but
it needs to be tied directly to measurable outcomes and linked to your growth
and/or improvement of your program. Also, there are many community partners
throughout Maine that provide nutrition education and resource materials to
your program free of charge, such as Healthy Maine Partnerships, the University
of Maine Cooperative Extension, SNAP-Ed. We’d want to see how you incorporated
those resources.
Q: Will you fund projects to replace
equipment, such as buying a larger scale that allows you to weigh product in
and out quicker and provide accurate information to donors, or to buy a new
computer for your program that has updated software to help the efficient
running of the program?
A: Yes, however
the request needs to be tied directly to measurable outcomes that show how
you’ve built the capacity of your program to serve your community more
efficiently.
Q: Would you consider funding a one-time
senior nutrition education event?
A: The grant
is intended to help your program build capacity for the long-term. A single,
one-time program has limited capacity to create sustainable change for your
program into the future and likely would not be considered. There are other
resources in the community that may be able to partner to offer such an event.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Look for Our Spotlight Product Posters!
Each month or so, Good Shepherd Food Bank's Nutrition Committee will spotlight a particular product and supply recipes for that product! As we continue to move our purchased product program toward items that are nutritious for our patrons, we'll supply information on what the health benefits are and how the product can be used. Look for the poster and recipe ideas in each of our warehouses.
For those who don't get to our warehouses, stay tuned to our Agency Blog for highlights and links to recipes!
For those who don't get to our warehouses, stay tuned to our Agency Blog for highlights and links to recipes!
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GSFB Network is a blog for partner agencies of Good Shepherd Food Bank focused on feeding Maine's hungry.