Please note: Accuracy and availability of IPR transcripts may vary. 00;00;00;05 - 00;00;19;25 Sean Ashcraft Ashcraft: Support for the facing project comes from Behavior Associates providing intensive therapy, individualized academic instruction, and social skills training for children with autism behavior associates analysts develop an individualized treatment plan for each child receiving services presenting sponsor of the facing project. More at behavior ABA. 00;00;19;28 - 00;01;00;24 J.R. Jamison Jamison: It's the time of year when most of us will gather to give thanks, clinking our seasonal beverages over plates of food. However, that won't be the case for nearly 34 million Americans who are food insecure. But how is that even possible when the United States is one of the richest countries in the world? I'm J.R. Jamison today on the Facing Project will explore this question and more through three stories, one from my mother in Kansas who struggles to make ends meet after an accident, another from a volunteer in Indiana who sees the unexpected faces of poverty, and one from a food pantry provider in Georgia who worries what will happen when the shelves go bare. 00;01;01;00 - 00;01;15;17 J.R. Jamison Stay with us for today's episode on food for thought. 00;01;15;20 - 00;01;45;12 J.R. Jamison The first time I was ever truly hungry wasn't until I was nearly 40 years old. Although there were hard times in my life, I grew up relatively privileged when it comes to access to food. Of course, we didn't always have the name brands, but there was always availability. Then on Black Friday a few years ago, I gave up food and fasted for the first time for years of consuming the chewy saltiness of leftover turkey and stuffing from Thanksgiving. 00;01;45;14 - 00;02;13;14 J.R. Jamison I chose not to eat at all. Now, most people associate fasting with religion, but that was not my reason. I decided to fast in solidarity with my good friend and co-founder of The Facing Project, Kelsey Timmerman, who had fasted on Black Fridays as a way to protest over consumerism. I made this Black Friday commitment to him weeks in advance, and as the actual day came, I was excited about giving up food for this reason. 00;02;13;16 - 00;02;35;16 J.R. Jamison I mean, 24 hours of not eating didn't seem too hard, and it was kind of for a good reason, even if it was only for our own reflections. So I ate my last meal at 9 p.m. on the night of Thanksgiving. When I awoke the next morning and realized I had to skip breakfast, which has always been my go to meal. 00;02;35;17 - 00;02;58;23 J.R. Jamison You know, they say it's the most important meal of the day for a reason. And for me, it's what wakes me up and it gives me energy for the day ahead. Well, I started to have second thoughts when by 9 a.m., 12 hours into my past, my belly was doing flops. Then I became hangry. You know, the overwhelming feeling of being hungry and angry at the same time. 00;02;58;26 - 00;03;24;20 J.R. Jamison But the most trained part of all was that my cabinets were full of food, gently calling my name peanut butter, waiting for me to spread it across, warm toast with a little dab of honey Cheerios whispering, we need milk, please. But I didn't submit. As the day we're on it wasn't the hanger getting to me. It was the headache and deep pit of emptiness that were hard to ignore. 00;03;24;22 - 00;03;46;10 J.R. Jamison I started to realize the friend I had in food. Food has always been there to comfort and greet me when I'm sad and when I'm happy. Food finds a way to keep me company when I'm bored. The temptation calling from the cabinets was impossible to bear. So to take my mind off of food and pastime, I cleaned and put up the Christmas decorations. 00;03;46;10 - 00;04;09;02 J.R. Jamison And that helped for a little bit. That evening, 22 hours into my fast, Kelsey texted to see if I wanted to break it at the 24 hour mark at one of our hometown favorites, Pizza King. And I couldn't respond with a yes in all caps fast enough as we nibbled on the last piece of pizza and made plans for hot chocolate. 00;04;09;04 - 00;04;39;20 J.R. Jamison I daydreamed about what else I would eat later that night. Then a sense of guilt set in because I knew how full my cupboards were and how, for many, hunger is not done from the privilege of choosing not to eat for reflection or protest. And after 24 hours. Hunger for many doesn't subside, though I was able to eat at the set time established to break our fast, I still experienced for a moment the emptiness, literally and metaphorically, that exists when one goes without a meal. 00;04;39;22 - 00;05;08;05 J.R. Jamison And the solidarity with Kelsey and those who have shared their stories of hunger with us throughout the years went deeper than pin diving into paper beyond story to a place of understanding. But I don't face hunger on a regular basis, and that's the biggest lesson I learned. Since that day, I've never taken food for granted, and I'm thankful for each meal, whether it's name, brand or generic, large or small, or served at a soiree or in the comfort of my own home. 00;05;08;07 - 00;05;29;07 J.R. Jamison But that's not the case for nearly 34 million Americans who are food insecure and face hunger each day. Like my 24 hour side effects of headaches and not being able to focus on a general emptiness that consumed my entire body. Those who are food insecure have these side effects all of the time. Do they get used to it? 00;05;29;13 - 00;06;05;29 J.R. Jamison Maybe. Does it impact their overall well-being? Likely. And you may be asking yourself, just as I did. How is that even possible in the United States as one of the richest countries in the world? Today we'll explore this question and more through three stories, one from a mother in Kansas who struggles to make ends meet after an accident, another from a volunteer in Indiana who sees the unexpected faces of poverty, and one from a food pantry provider in Georgia who worries what will happen when the shelves go bare due to strong language and content that may be disturbing to some. 00;06;06;01 - 00;06;08;14 J.R. Jamison Listener discretion is advised. 00;06;08;18 - 00;06;36;27 Melinda Melinda: The story of a hit and run survivor. An anonymous story as told to Katie Omo, performed by Melinda. Jobs are hard to come by. I'm still currently looking. I've worked at Wendy's, a hotel, and I've done some catering gigs, but nothing ever long term. It's hard when nobody will hire you because you're a liability to the company. I mean, since the accident, it's difficult for me to work throughout the day when my body just constantly aches. 00;06;37;00 - 00;06;56;12 Melinda About ten years ago or so, I was hit by a car. I broke my body in four places and have had to undergo many surgeries. I had to wear all kinds of braces, and I've been forced to take it easy when I wasn't supposed to move. It was a hit and run, and I've only received a partial insurance settlement. 00;06;56;15 - 00;07;17;21 Melinda It's a hard life when you can't work without my doctor's bills. Attorney bills, everyday bills. The money I do have. It goes quickly. I have three boys, two grown. They're on their own. And I have another boy. He's in middle school, but with no money coming in. It's hard to give him all he needs. Food is an essential part of every human beings life. 00;07;17;21 - 00;07;41;26 Melinda And without food, you feel an emptiness that can sometimes be painful. It's hard to concentrate and accomplish tasks because the only thing on your mind is how hungry you are. With no money coming into my home, there's no money for food. It's an awful feeling knowing that you can't provide for yourself or loved ones with something that's usually considered easy to get. 00;07;41;28 - 00;08;02;01 Melinda But after I started receiving food stamps, things got a little bit better. I don't come to the bread basket often, but I come here when I need it. What a generous and selfless place this is. Being able to have a food pantry in our community is a blessing. Without it, I might not be able to keep my son and me fed. 00;08;02;03 - 00;08;32;24 Melinda No matter what situation you're in, all you can do is keep going. I do what I can to find temporary jobs. I clean some houses for my friends. And what's nice about a small community like ours here in Manhattan, Kansas, is that everyone genuinely wants to help you. We all just have to help each other out. 00;08;32;27 - 00;09;04;18 Beth Nahre Nahre: Unexpected faces of poverty. An anonymous story as told to Kayla Conrad, performed by Beth Nahre. As I lifted 1176 jugs of apple cider into vehicles on a Thursday morning. My heart felt two opposing emotions. I was elated I was able to give food to these families in the tailgating line, but in opposition, my heart broke when I looked at the long line of cars that seemed to last forever. 00;09;04;23 - 00;09;29;20 Beth Nahre How can there be so many people in need of food? And these were probably only a small portion of those in Muncie who were struggling financially. And if I'm being honest, I had preconceived notions about the individuals who would come to the food distribution. I thought many of them were going to be in tattered clothes and old beater cars, or maybe on foot. 00;09;29;24 - 00;10;04;11 Beth Nahre But when I saw those who actually did come, I realized that I had assumed and misjudged. This really opened my eyes and showed me that poverty does, in fact affect everyone. I was shocked to see many individuals in cars that look quite nice. If I saw them on the street, I never would have surmised that they be in line to receive food handouts, and it was disheartening to notice how a large portion of individuals had handicapped license plates, or it was apparent they had serious health issues. 00;10;04;14 - 00;10;31;07 Beth Nahre I don't think I'd ever thought much about poverty affecting the elderly and those with health issues. Like I said before, I had an idea of what a person in poverty looked like. But after my time at the food distribution, I realized I had a plethora of misconceptions. And it was also disheartening to face reality and realized there were thousands in Muncie who live in poverty. 00;10;31;09 - 00;11;11;15 Beth Nahre I'm grateful that the misconceptions I held were dismantled. Even now, my mind is racing with thoughts such as what else can I do? And what am I going to do about it? Well, I've decided I'm going to keep seeking and searching for answers to those questions, but one thing I do know is this it thrilled my heart to lift each and every one of those 1176 jugs of apple cider. 00;11;11;17 - 00;11;42;16 Richard Bowman Bowman: Something's got to give. The story of the Georgia mountain food Bank, as told to Cassidy Collier, performed by Richard Bowman. I'm not a food pantry, although sometimes I'm confused. As one, I serve a different role. Direct client service is not really my thing. I provide food to those pantries. But what happens when my shelves become bare? Something's got to give. 00;11;42;19 - 00;12;12;09 Richard Bowman I served five counties and 65 groups. I impact the lives of those in the hall. Dawson forces Lumpkin and Union counties. One in every five people that you meet in those counties is food insecure. But. But what happens when my shelves become bare? Something's got to give. When I was born, I was housed inside of the Hollis Transportation and Logistics Warehouse. 00;12;12;14 - 00;12;36;24 Richard Bowman In the beginning, I had no storage. And as soon as food was delivered to me, it needed to be picked up and transported to the people who needed it. Three years later, on Thanksgiving Eve, my foundation was poured and the building that I am today was built. I went from squatting in a warehouse to growing into my own two storey building. 00;12;36;26 - 00;13;09;19 Richard Bowman But what happens when my shelves become bared? Something's got to give. On April 17th, 2012, my doors were open to the public. The governor of Georgia and his wife came. Many city officials came, as well as large influences in the community. All of the people who have the power to make a change were now aware of what I needed in order to make sure that those who fight hunger and homelessness had to fight no more. 00;13;09;21 - 00;13;43;14 Richard Bowman But what happens when my shelves become bare? Something's got to give. My route spans over 7000 volunteers, supporters and donors, I hope, unite others in taking on the challenge of fighting hunger. Money isn't the most important thing to me. People are. This journey is about the community. It's about taking care of one another and realizing that it's never obvious who the food insecure people are in any community. 00;13;43;17 - 00;14;21;01 Richard Bowman It's not always obvious who truly needs help, but what happens when my shelves become bare? Something's got to give. I've brought together thousands of people who all have different ideals, morals, and life stories. Some of these people are facing homelessness and food insecurity from the inside. Some are facing it from the outside. Every person I've impacted, though, shares one common idea homelessness and food insecurity need to become a thing of the past. 00;14;21;03 - 00;14;53;06 Richard Bowman These people raise money, donate food and help distribute food. Some of these people receive the donations, overcome the challenges that they're facing, and become volunteers and donors themselves. But what happens when my shelves become bare? Something's got to give. I was founded as a nonprofit organization during the worst economic crisis in recent history. People were losing jobs. People were losing their homes, and businesses were shutting down. 00;14;53;08 - 00;15;02;18 Richard Bowman I was the sunlight breaking through the clouds. I was there to help people who were losing everything. 00;15;02;21 - 00;15;34;14 Richard Bowman But what happens when my shelves become bare? Something's got to give. I'm innovative and always looking for new ways to help those in need. So our partnership with the Good News Clinic, I have been able to impact the lives of 25 diabetic patients who are facing homelessness and food insecurity. I provide boxes of food for these patients on a monthly basis, filled with the things that they need to eat in order to stay in good health. 00;15;34;16 - 00;15;41;28 Richard Bowman But what happens when my shelves become bigger? Something's got to give. 00;15;42;00 - 00;16;13;20 Richard Bowman I don't always see the people whose lives are changed, but I know their names. And I know that I have helped them. I know that I have been able to provide for them in their in times of need. I also know I am not reaching everyone that needs my help. I know there are more people I can serve, and I need my shelves to be filled so I can serve everyone that needs my help. 00;16;13;22 - 00;16;19;28 Richard Bowman But my shows are running alarmingly bare. 00;16;20;00 - 00;16;26;06 Richard Bowman What will happen when my shows do become bare? 00;16;26;08 - 00;16;42;28 Richard Bowman Some things something's got to give. 00;16;43;01 - 00;17;02;27 Sean Ashcraft Ashcraft: Support for the project comes from Behavior Associates providing intensive therapy, individualized academic instruction, and social skills training for children with autism behavior associates analysts develop an individualized treatment plan for each child receiving services. Presenting sponsor of the facing project. More at behavior ABA. 00;17;03;00 - 00;17;23;05 J.R. Jamison Jamison: I want to welcome to the show Ami McReynolds, the chief equity officer for Feeding America. As the largest hunger relief organization in the United States, Feeding America operates 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, ensuring that all Americans have equitable access to nutritious food. Amy, thank you for joining me. 00;17;23;10 - 00;17;25;29 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: J.R., thanks for having me. Happy to be here. 00;17;26;01 - 00;17;34;24 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Let's talk about the name of the organization, Feeding America. It's accurate, but you all provide so much more than that. Tell me more. 00;17;34;26 - 00;18;06;19 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Yeah. So just like you talked about, our Feeding America network does consist of 200 food banks, and they work in partnership with over 60,000 local partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs. And we help provide over 5.2 billion meals last year to over tens of millions of people in need. But in addition to that great work, Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food insecurity among the people that we serve. 00;18;06;20 - 00;18;21;12 Ami McReynolds As a network, we bring attention to the social and the systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity across the country, and we advocate for legislation that protects people from going hungry in the first place. 00;18;21;15 - 00;18;40;05 J.R. Jamison Jamison: That's a good Indian point there, because I do have a question. I hear people say all the time, like, why are there food lines? Why are there food pantries when, you know, the United States is still one of the richest countries in the world, but the stats are there that show that nearly 34 million Americans are food insecure. 00;18;40;08 - 00;18;43;26 J.R. Jamison What do you say to people who question that? 00;18;43;29 - 00;19;07;19 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Well, I often say that I wish it was only a supply chain kind of issue in this country. We produce more than enough food to feed every person. We also throw away a lot of food. Last year, about 66 billion pounds of food went into landfills, and that doesn't even include sort of what I have to chuck out from my refrigerator when I'm cleaning things out. 00;19;07;22 - 00;19;34;25 Ami McReynolds As a result, Feeding America is not only the largest hunger relief organization, but we're also the largest food recovery organization in the US. We work with retailers, manufacturers, and the agricultural sector in order to solve this problem that you talked about. You know, I also think about the fact that while the US is a country that is rich with opportunities, we know that access to those opportunities is not always equal. 00;19;34;27 - 00;19;58;02 Ami McReynolds So to me, hunger is a solvable issue with the will to do it. And but one of the first barriers is really just to acknowledge that it exists. I mean, one of the silver linings of the Covid 19 pandemic, if there can be one, right, is that it brought a spotlight to food insecurity in this country and really brought the issue out of the shadows, reducing stigma. 00;19;58;04 - 00;20;12;05 J.R. Jamison Jamison: And that inequity around food insecurity. It is a class issue, but it also is a race and racism issue. What role do race and racism play in access to equitable food systems? 00;20;12;08 - 00;20;56;05 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Yes. I mean, even before the pandemic, right? We knew that people of color are experiencing food insecurity and its underlying drivers disproportionately compared to white folks. In fact, our data shows that black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islanders are experiencing food insecurity rates and are 2 to 3 times higher than that of white individuals. Many of the disparities can be attributed to structural and institutional racism, to discrimination, and all of that has created a system of barriers to quality education and jobs, housing opportunities, transportation, even the way that communities are invested or disinvested in. 00;20;56;05 - 00;21;01;13 Ami McReynolds So all of that plays into how people get access to food. 00;21;01;15 - 00;21;17;12 J.R. Jamison Jamison: And this is true regardless of place. So inequitable food systems based on race and ethnicity impact both rural and urban areas. What work is being done to combat rural and urban food deserts? And is there a shining example of a community that could be a model for others? 00;21;17;15 - 00;21;44;02 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Sure. I wish I had more time to share lots of examples. Definitely. Food insecurity exists in every county, parish, borough. Whatever you describe as your community and some communities experience it more deeply than others. So Feeding America is really investing deeply in communities to address the root causes of racial and social injustices that lead to food insecurity. 00;21;44;03 - 00;22;11;12 Ami McReynolds So in 2021, Feeding America, the Food Security Equity Impact Fund, the goal of the fund is to help drive investments to communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. And through the fund, Feeding America works with its partner, food banks and other community based partners to identify ideas and to invest in those community based solutions to address the root causes of hunger. 00;22;11;14 - 00;22;44;02 Ami McReynolds To date, we have distributed $9.9 million to 25 different food banks or communities who are partnering with 60 organizations locally, of which 90% are led by people of color. And those awards range anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000, with grantees representing, as you said, urban, suburban and rural communities all across the country. You know, I can think of two examples of folks that have had the opportunity to visit recently. 00;22;44;03 - 00;23;11;25 Ami McReynolds One is the Camden Dream Center in Camden, new Jersey. They're partnering with the food Bank of South Jersey, and they are really working on addressing poverty and low income by providing training, skill development and career opportunities in the agar Stem fields. Right. Thinking about how do you take Stem curricula and apply it to agriculture? So really great work that they're doing in Camden and then in Mississippi. 00;23;11;25 - 00;23;47;18 Ami McReynolds I recently had a chance to visit Jackson, Mississippi, the Anderson Center for justice and the Mississippi Food Network are addressing racial disparities in land and food production ownership. So they are developing worker owned co-ops in order to increase food justice and racial equity in their communities, and doing all of that to improve health, nutrition and wellness with access to healthy and nutritious foods that are being grown right there as part of the co-op, as well as restored damage and contaminated soil for healthy food production. 00;23;47;20 - 00;23;50;23 J.R. Jamison Jamison: So it's a multi-level, multi-layered approach. 00;23;50;24 - 00;23;51;14 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: That's right. 00;23;51;15 - 00;23;52;19 J.R. Jamison Jamison: To food insecurity. 00;23;52;20 - 00;24;05;13 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Yes, and we believe that when we focus on the communities that are most deeply impacted, that we can ensure access and opportunity for all people and improve the health and well-being of all communities. 00;24;05;16 - 00;24;12;23 J.R. Jamison Jamison: You all do so much work to help others. What's the biggest need right now for you for Feeding America? 00;24;12;24 - 00;24;38;12 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Yes. So the Feeding America network, we are always in need of donations and volunteers. And folks can help by supporting Feeding America, by making a financial contribution or volunteering at their local food bank or pantry, feeding America, in order to find a food bank or a partner organization that's closest to you, or is in a community that you care deeply about. 00;24;38;15 - 00;24;44;22 J.R. Jamison Jamison: If you could to spell one myth about food insecurity, what would that be? 00;24;44;24 - 00;25;11;05 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: You know, I often will tell people the work that I'm involved in, people that I might be meeting for the first time, and they will say, we thank you for all that you're doing for the homeless. And certainly there's work that we're doing to support people who are unhoused in this country. But the biggest myth is that there are so many people who are working, working two jobs, three jobs to support themselves and their family and just can't make ends meet. 00;25;11;05 - 00;25;30;09 Ami McReynolds So the fact that we have so many folks who are working deeply and working hard to support their families, but still need additional support, whether that's through government supports or the support of the charitable feeding system through Feeding America, is always something that seems to surprise people. 00;25;30;12 - 00;25;35;07 J.R. Jamison Jamison: Ami McReynolds, chief equity officer for Feeding America, thank you for joining me. 00;25;35;07 - 00;25;37;07 Ami McReynolds McReynolds: Thank you so much. 00;25;37;09 - 00;26;01;14 J.R. Jamison Jamison: More can be found online about Feeding America at Feeding America. And the story doesn't stop here for us. Three facing projects on equitable food systems, sustainability, and more will take place over the next year in Baltimore, Maryland. Muncie, Indiana. And Tacoma, Washington. 00;26;01;16 - 00;26;24;12 J.R. Jamison Stories from today's episode came from Facing Hunger in Manhattan, Kansas. Facing poverty in east central Indiana and facing homelessness in Gainesville, Georgia. We want to thank Kansas State University teamwork for quality living. Emperor Now University for organizing these three facing projects. The story of a hit and run survivor was written in collaboration with Katie Omo and was performed by Melinda. 00;26;24;18 - 00;26;48;28 J.R. Jamison Unexpected Faces of Poverty was written in collaboration with Kayla Conrad and was performed by Beth Nahre. Something's Got to Give was written in collaboration with Cassidy Collier and was performed by Richard Bowman. To listen to past episodes of this program, visit Indiana Public Radio Project. From there, you can subscribe to the podcast where you'll get the facing project delivered to your device each month. 00;26;48;29 - 00;27;21;22 J.R. Jamison Or just ask your smart speaker to play the facing project on NPR. Listeners can contribute stories or volunteer to share the stories of others that may appear on the show. More information at Facing Project. To continue the conversation about this episode. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at The Facing Project. The Facing project is recorded at Indiana Public Radio at Ball State University and Beautiful and Wonderful, Muncie, Indiana, and it's produced by the amazing producer and sound engineer extraordinaire, Sean Ashcraft. 00;27;21;23 - 00;28;40;10 J.R. Jamison The show is distributed nationally through. I'm your host, J.R. Jamison. And until next time, I wish you the courage to share your own story and the empathy to listen to others. 00;28;40;12 - 00;28;59;09 Sean Ashcraft Ashcraft: Support for the project comes from Behavior Associates providing intensive therapy, individualized academic instruction, and social skills training for children with autism behavior associates analysts develop an individualized treatment plan for each child receiving services. Presenting sponsor of the facing project. More at behavior ABA.