I am really excited about this Fellowship Year and working with the social action folks to get the kids involved. Especially since Carol E-D is into food and hunger as issues that the children can understand.
I have had this dream since I was director of ICAN and delivered people their gov't commodities. If you have never seen commodities, they are a weird mishmash of things that have potential. Canned meat, beans, rice, canned fruit and fruit juice, a cheese not unlike velveeta. Sometimes cereal. Dry milk. I was always a little stumped at how the gov't thought people would use these. We are talking about people who qualify for commodities, so they have limited resources already. Oh, but wait, we ARE talking about he gov't so they don't have to think about practical things like how someone might soak the beans in a pot they don't have so that they can make a delicious healthy soup for cold winter nights. Do they have a stove to cook it on? Do they have electricity? Water? Do they know how to read the label on the dang bag of beans? Gov't - not detail oriented!
My dream since I saw this cardboard box of odd foodstuffs has been to organize classes that teach people what to do with the box of things that the gov't gave them. Every month, they come to the imaginary center, where their children are cared for in a loving environment while they cook, and they learn what to do with their monthly allotment. A crew of dedicated volunteers helps cut and chop the vegetable adjuncts for the class demo while others collect lists of materials that people need in their home in order to cook the food (sharp knife, cutting board, cookpot) and people share ideas of how to make do when you don't have the tool or ingredient that you would most like to have. The basic tools that they need are procured for them so that they can use the resources that the gov't made available to them, and the program makes sense!
I keep hearing Marilyn and Forrest talk about Just Food, a local program having something to do with ECKAN and Ann Weick. And I have seen lots of people at the Fellowship bring in bags and boxes of food on Sunday mornings that people need, for their stomachs as well as their souls.
(My real dream is that this Miracle Kitchen evolves into a restaurant where people are trained to have jobs in restaurants and meals are served to homeless, low-income, and paying customers alike. Sort of a Paradise Cafe with a social action spin.)
Yesterday was my big brother's birthday, and I took my kiddo over to Liberty for dinner with my bro. He is a chef, and he runs the kitchen at the HyVee on 6th Street. I was telling him about my Miracle Kitchen and he shook his head. He said, "ya know, sis, we throw away so much food, and when other people see it, they say things about coming back to get it and getting it to LINK or whoever will take it and share it with those in need, but they never come back to get it. I guess they are just too busy to remember."
I will try to not get so busy that I can't remember to come and help get to people the sustenance that they need.
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Oh, you have focused some light on a topic that is becoming increasingly important to me. I've always questioned the quality of food that is given to people in need. That would be every living thing, though I speak of those who are homeless, kitchenless, and penniless.
Over a year ago, our family became vegans after reading the strong correlation between animal protein, too much protein, and disease. Shortly, we learned about raw foods and began eliminating cooked foods from our menu. Life became more interesting, but also more complicated with the "tools of the trade". I speak of dehydrators, juicers, blenders, mandolins, and long, long lists of ingredients that would make any good cook's head spin a little.
Later, after joining a few raw food groups online, I learned about Natural Hygiene. Fresh, newbie responses to the term include, "What kind of PC product is that?" Or, "Yeah, I know what that is, I saw it at the store in the health section." Or, "Is it something you clean yourself with that's natural?" No, to all of the above.
To find out what Wikipedia says about Natural Hygiene (not nearly enough), go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_hygiene
Anyway, NH promotes a raw diet, and usually a raw, vegan diet of whole, organic or better foods including primarily fruits and leafy greens.
If you made it this far in your reading, I can tell you from experience that eating a raw vegan diet changes EVERYTHING. High on the list of things that change, besides a state of health, are losing the need for cooking implements, stoves, cookware, electricity, and even dishes. Here's an example to illustrate my point further. My daughter has been watching a video to learn Mandarin. Some of the words taught are fruit names. The Chinese woman says to the kids, "We peel the xiāng jiāo, we eat the xiāng jiāo." And repeats, "We peel the xiāng jiāo, we eat the xiāng jiāo." You've probably figured out that "xiāng jiāo" (pronounced, Shee-ang Jow) is a banana. So, my point is that the more fresh, whole, raw foods, and mainly FRUITS that we can get into hungry stomachs, the better. No kitchens required. Just peel the banana and eat it. Fruit is also portable so that the eater can eat it where and when desired.
I am now reading a wonderful book called, "Food, Not Lawns". This book talks about incorporating what is called "paradise gardening" into the landscape of our yards, among many other ecology topics like water conservation and getting off of the grid, seed stewardship, guerrilla gardening (who knew there was such a thing!), and permaculture. It's full of wonderful ideas about cultivating those tasty heirloom tomatoes for enjoyment on your awesome wrap-around porch! And, that's only the beginning. There is a lot of talk about using our public spaces to grow edible food. Gardens don't have to be plots filled with rows. Edible plants, vines, and trees that bear fruit can be incorporated into public spaces and free for the taking. Wouldn't it be great if our parks and yards were filled with fruit trees? And, think of all the public places cantaloupe and watermelon could grow. One only needs a knife to cut them open. This reminds me of the movie, "Woodstock". Hundreds of hippies at the festival were eating watermelons in the hot sun which probably prevented many cases of heat stroke and dehydration.
Anyway, these are only a few thoughts about getting fresh food to the hungry without the need of a kitchen and heat.
Sadly, Janet, If we convinced Lawrence to put fruit trees in our parks, someone would inevitably decide that they needed sprayed with all kinds of chemicals to protect us from yucky bugs.
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