Public Libraries Are Giving Away An Insane Amount Of Free Food ▬ Shareable

Public Libraries Are Giving Away An Insane Amount Of Free Food

Lunch at the Library

Shareable:  9.29.2020 by Noah Lenstra

Across America, in major cities you’ve heard of and in countless places you most likely have never considered, public librarians are working with local, state, and national partners to bring food to those who need it during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Wait — librarians? 

Yes indeed.

And, when librarians distribute food, they do more than merely give it away. 

They also use the library’s myriad educational and lifelong learning resources to confront the food insecurity that all too many Americans struggle with every day. 

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In fact, libraries have a long history of food provision, from the victory gardens of World War I and II to today’s bumper crop of community gardens at libraries across North America. 

But the story runs deeper still. 

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Summer reading, summer eating

Since 2008, the number of public libraries in the United States feeding children and families during the summer months has skyrocketed. Innovative programs are flourishing from coast to coast. 

As these initiatives proliferate, funders, scholars, and policy makers take note. California’s Lunch at the Library inspired a series of peer-reviewed studies in the journal Public Health Nutrition, and received $1 million in supplementary funding from Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019 to expand the program.  

=My research showed that in 2017, at least 1,546 public libraries distributed summer meals as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Feeding Program. Two years later, in 2019, data from the agency’s Food and Nutrition Service show that by 2019 the number of libraries serving summer meals had grown to above 2,000. 

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Food security all year long

Many of these summer feeding efforts at libraries are morphing into year-round food distribution programs.

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If you want to start a similar program where you live, the first step is to reach out to your local librarian. 

Then let Shareable know what you develop together!

Learn more:

Lunch at the Library

Team Vittles

Collaborative Summer Library Program

Food Justice in the Public Library: Information, Resources, and Meals
Noah Lenstra, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA

Christine D’Arpa, Wayne State University, USA

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

Encouraging Healthy Food Choices with Traffic-Light Labels and Choice Architecture via Health Literacy Out Loud

Encouraging Healthy Food Choices with Traffic-Light Labels and Choice Architecture

Health Literacy Out Loud: Feb 2020

Anne Thorndike MD, MPH is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Much of her work focuses on individual and population-level behavioral interventions to prevent cardiometabolic disease. Through implementation research, Dr. Thorndike and her team demonstrated the effectiveness of traffic light labels, choice architecture, social norms, and financial incentives to promote healthy food choices in real-life settings, such as worksite cafeterias and supermarkets.

In this podcast, Dr. Thorndike talks with Helen Osborne about:

A hospital cafeteria healthy eating program that uses colors, labels, and placement to guide employees, patients, and visitors toward healthier food choices.

Research data showing the long-term effectiveness of this program.

Lessons learned that can be applied in many settings. These include taking into account many aspects of dietary quality, not just calories. And labeling all foods, not just those that are healthy.  LISTEN 19:03

More ways to learn:

“Calories Purchased by Hospital Employees After Implementation of a Cafeteria Traffic Light-Labelling and Choice Architecture Program,” by Thordike AN, Gelsomin ED, Levy DE. Published in JAMA Open Network, July 2019.

“Choice architecture to promote fruit and vegetable purchases by families participating in the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): randomized corner store pilot study,” by Thordike AN, Bright OM, Dimond MA, FIshman R, Levy DE. Published in Public Health Nutrition, May 2017.

“Consumer Reports Health Ratings (HLOL #75),” a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with John Santa MD, MPH.

“Choosing A Health Plan: Ways to Make This Experience Easier and More Consumer-Friendly (HLOL #87),”a Health Literacy Out Loud podcast interview with Lynn Quincy.

Read a transcript of this podcast

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old (Twelfth graders)

Libraries Serving Summer Meals

Summer Meals

Libraries Create Community Connections by Serving Summer Meals

Cities Speak: 5.29.2015 guest post by Patrice Chamberlain,

director of the California Summer Meal Coalition.

Recognizing the need in their communities, public libraries across the country are addressing the summer nutrition gap by serving summer meals alongside summer reading and enrichment programs.

Summer is right around the corner, yet in many low-income communities, this time of year can leave children with limited access to learning opportunities, few safe places to gather and without access to the free or reduced-price meals they received through their school lunch and breakfast programs.

In California and across the nation, a growing number of public libraries are teaming up with city agencies, schools and community-based organizations to ensure that low-income youth stay healthy and engaged when school is out by serving summer meals alongside library summer reading and enrichment programs.

Why Public Libraries?

Libraries are community hubs: trusted, safe spaces that provide an engaging, welcoming environment for community members of all ages. Library summer reading and enrichment programs keep kids engaged and combat summer learning loss. In addition, access to computers and the Internet are a crucial resource for families with limited access to technology at home. Interaction with library staff and opportunities for social engagement can also be invaluable to families. Librarians can help guide reading choices, serve as positive role models and connect families to community resources.

Recognizing the need in their communities, libraries across the nation are stepping up to address the summer nutrition gap. In California, the number of libraries serving summer meals has increased dramatically, from fewer than 15 library branches in 2012 to more than 90 this summer. In 2014, nearly 65 libraries served more than 88,000 summer lunches to kids in high-poverty neighborhoods.  READ MORE !

Lunch at the Library Sites

California Summer Meal Coalition Sites

by County

Lunch @ The Library - Summer Food Service Program

Tell Everyone: Free Meals for Youth!

Techsoup for Libraries: 5.30.2014 by Sarah Washburn

A recent TechSoup webinar on childhood hunger and tools to find free meals surfaced a lot of interest and ideas on how organizations can help fight hunger. (Watch the archive and download resources shared during the webinar.) If you're interested in tools to help youth in your community find free meals this summer, read on.

Of the youth who receive free and reduced meals at school, only 1 out of 6 benefit from that same program when school is out. There are nutritious free meals being served across the country in some 45,000 sites. How do we make sure everyone knows? This webinar encouraged organizations and individuals who interact with youth to spread the word loudly and broadly.

Creating a Summer Safety Net

Patrice Chamberlain from the California Summer Meal Coalition framed the issue well when she said,

It’s safe to say that those kids who are getting free and reduced lunches during the school year, when school lets out, their needs don't magically disappear during the summer.”

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The USDA’s Summer Food Service Program exists to help youth under age 18 access free meals across the U.S. without stigma: no identification and no questions.  Just show up and enjoy a free meal. Nutritious, free meals are served at nonprofits, schools, churches, parks, apartment buildings, libraries, YMCAs, mobile home parks, even community pools!  READ MORE !

Find Free Summer Meals for Children in Your Community

Summer site information varies by state and will be available as the school year is ending and summer is about to begin in your community, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (for Spanish speakers) to find a free, nutritious summer meal site near you.