Moveable Feast Blog

How Much Is A Cup of Fruits & Vegetables?

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:27:00 +0000

Here at Moveable Feast, we have wonderful full-time Dietitians overseeing the menu and portions of our client meals. The rest of us, however, still wonder if we are getting it right sometimes. To help us all, here is a great go-to visual aid showing us 1/2 cup and 1 cup serving sizes of fruits and veggies.

How much is a cup? Here are some examples…

World AIDS Day

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Today- Thursday, Dec. 1 - is World AIDS Day.

It will be a busy day for Moveable Feast. Twenty-seven volunteers from MAC Cosmetics will be here to work in the kitchen, while other staff and volunteers will join in the festivities of BMORE AWARE: The Living Red Ribbon at Coppin State.

This is the 30^th anniversary of the identification of HIV in the US.

Some of you may recall that early on in this epidemic, HIV was a death sentence for those infected. Having AIDS often meant not only sickness but also isolation and rejection. Friends were getting sick and dying. Fortunately, friends were also helping each other. In fact, the founder of Moveable Feast, Bob Mehl, an employee of the Baltimore City Health Department, was a staunch advocate for his friends and the community around him whom he saw dying from AIDS. That’s how Moveable Feast got started. Bob insisted that the City do something to help people living with AIDS. Bob fought tirelessly to secure funding from Mayor Kurt Schmoke and was asked by Mayor Schmoke to head a group to address this issue. The core idea of Moveable Feast was born: provide nutritious meals to people living with HIV/AIDS free-of-charge and, just as importantly, deliver those meals with care and compassion. Unfortunately, Bob himself succumbed to AIDS before Moveable Feast ever served its first meals, but the seeds of compassion were sown for decades to come.

For more than 22 years, Moveable Feast has focused its mission on serving people who have been ostracized from their families, ridiculed by their communities, demoralized by poverty, and feared by the ignorance, prejudice and self-righteousness that often plagues even the most well-intentioned people. Ours has been a mission that nourishes the body, soul and spirit, without regard for color, race, creed, origin or sexual identification.

Indeed, we are an example of a “feast to which all are welcome.”

World AIDS Day is a day to remember those who have died from AIDS and to remember the nearly 1 million people in the US who live courageously with HIV. We also celebrate those heroes, past and present, who have contributed to the health and wellness of people with HIV. It’s a day to educate and “b’more aware” of our focus to reduce the number of new HIV infections and to ensure treatment for those who are infected. Consequently, it’s also a day to remember that many people with HIV continue to live in some form of isolation: fearful of the rejection, ridicule and prejudice that surround this disease.

Thank you for the difference you make each day to advance the mission of Moveable Feast. I take tremendous pride in our staff, board, donors and volunteers who demonstrate a deep and genuine concern for the health and welfare of all our clients, but especially in those who live with HIV/AIDS. In whatever capacity you contribute to Moveable Feast, it is only by working together that we impact the health and wellness of those who are sick and poor, thus strengthening our entire community.

Together let us be diligent in our efforts to FEED people, FIGHT disease and FOSTER hope!

Thomas Bonderenko

Executive Director

222 More Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:57:00 +0000

Yesterday we posted about the many Thanksgiving treats we’re preparing for our clients this week as well as what we are incredibly thankful for- supporters like YOU. (Read yesterday’s post here.)

Today- with Thanksgiving only a day away - GiveCorps is giving us a chance to fund 777 meals for our neighbors in need AND to give back to those who donate ($10 off at Alonso’s & Loco Hombre!). During our first promotion on GiveCorps, a Baltimore-based website guided by the idea of “Give Local. Get Local.,” we reached our goal of $1,000 in one day. Now, we’re trying to raise just $400 more to provide 222 additional meals.

How can you help?

1. Make an online donation to our Moveable Feast project “Providing Hope Through Meals” on GiveCorps.

2. Mail a check payable to the GiveCorps Foundation with “Moveable Feast” in the memo line to: The GiveCorps Foundation, PO Box 5606 Baltimore, MD 21210.

3. Mobilize your network by pushing the project to your Facebook and Twitter communities!

As you look forward to feasting with your family this Thanksgiving, help us make sure that others are able to enjoy a healthy holiday meal as well.

Here's to food, family and good health this holiday season!

Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:36:00 +0000

The Moveable Feast family (donors, volunteers, staff, etc.) provides meals for Marylanders in need 365 days a year. But it’s around the holidays that our supporters really go the extra mile in making sure that clients not only have meals but also the sense of a loving community around them.

This year for Thanksgiving, we are so excited for our clients to receive the following:

- Traditional Thanksgiving Dinners: clients will either receive a turkey box comprised of a 14-15 lb turkey, 10 pounds of potatoes, a can of green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, stuffing mix and a dessert OR a Thanksgiving dinner freshly prepared here in our kitchen and delivered to their doors ready to eat.

- Festive Thanksgiving Cupcakes: made and donated by our amazing IIDA and BOMA volunteers (read our last post about their cupcake-making event here)

- Thanksgiving Cards: created by numerous groups, including the Transitional Head Injury Program, IIDA and BOMA.

We are honored to be able to make Thanksgiving extra special for our clients, and we simply could not and would not be able to do that without Moveable Feast supporters. You are the ones who have put in the time to bake, to create, to prepare and to deliver. You are the ones who make this organization what it is. At this time of the year- when we think about what we are grateful for- there’s no hesitation for Moveable Feast staff in responding: for supporters like YOU.

Thank you!

Cupcakes, Cards and Holiday Cheer

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:06:00 +0000

Yesterday, November 17^th, over 40 amazing IIDA and BOMA volunteers entered the fray at our kitchens again. Every November for the past few years, this enthusiastic crew picks a night to take over Moveable Feast and prepare festive treats for our clients.

This year, they had a large task ahead; decorating and beautifully packaging 1,800 Thanksgiving cupcakes. With only three hours to work (and powered by delicious treats provided by Absolutely Perfect Catering), our dedicated volunteers managed to not only prepare and package hundreds of cupcakes, but they also created charming holiday cards and sorted through items they had collected through a food drive. The donated goods alone are enough to offset our grocery purchasing for the rest of the year! We can’t thank our volunteers enough for helping to make the holidays a little sweeter for our clients.

Take a look at some of the highlights from the event!

Funding & Service Update

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:10:00 +0000

Thank you for your amazing support and encouragement over these past few months! It is with great happiness that we announce that, effective October 15^th, Moveable Feast was able to return our clients to full service. While the federal financial delays created a lot of initial uncertainty, they also forced us to reevaluate our priorities and services, which have resulted in a few noteworthy changes:

1. Moveable Feast will make the move that many Association of Nutrition Service Agencies (ANSA) programs have done to reduce grocery foods and provide a more healthy and nutritious balance of prepared foods, groceries and fresh produce. This will result in a 30% increase in our meal production and a decreased distribution of canned goods.

2. Clients demonstrating the greatest need will receive 18 prepared meals, delivered twice weekly.

3. Other clients will receive 12 prepared meals per week consisting of lunch and dinner entrees, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables as available.

4. Children and caregivers will be added back to service on an individual need basis.

With these adjustments, we believe we can better serve our clients and assure the fulfillment of our mission. Thank you for proving how strong and enthusiastic a support base we really have here at Moveable Feast.

Only together can we FEED people | FIGHT disease | FOSTER hope.

Food Day

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:33:00 +0000

If you visit Moveable Feast today, you’ll notice something a little different when you walk into the building: a welcome table set up with all sorts of information about food stamps, nutrition and a collection of a week’s worth of food that you can buy with $30 (the average SNAP benefit in Maryland).

To see the list of food purchased and more on the Food Stamp Challenge, click here.

This display celebrates Food Day- October 24^th- as a day to “push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.” Sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Day furthers the following goals:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

At Moveable Feast, food is central to our mission, and every day we witness the powerful effects that access to good nutrition has on the health of our clients and their families. Join us in observing Food Day by attending a local event, signing a petition and spreading the word!

A few Food Day events around the city include:

Food Day Teach-In: Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future is hosting a series of food-related presentations, ending at 3pm.

National Food Day Event in Pigtown: Check out activities emphasizing healthy eating and talk to representatives from various Baltimore organizations that work to improve access to healthy foods. 2:30 @ George Washington Elementary School

Vegetarian—Food Day Dinner: A dinner hosted by The VRG for World Food Day at 5pm tonight @ Mr. Chan’s Szechuan Restaurant (registration required).

Find out more ways to get involved on the Food Day website.

Guest Blog: Moveable Feast's Recipe for Successful Volunteer Management

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:21:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, Volunteer Maryland’s latest crew of Americorps members (part of their Volunteer Maryland Coordinators program) spent a full day at Moveable Feast volunteering and thinking about the “best practices” of volunteer management. Barb Cooke, a VMC peer leader, was kind enough to share her blog post reflecting on the day and, more specifically, on the recipe for a successful volunteer program. You can find her full blog post here.

Here is how Moveable Feast makes it happen:

Ingredients:
~heartfelt passion
~a solid understanding of the community need and agency mission
~a handful of humility
~knowledge of staff/volunteer investment, policies and documentation
~heaping helping of flexibility
~effective recruitment, orientation/training, and recognition
~healthy sprinkling humor

Directions:
1) Have Volunteer Coordinator, Tom Patrick, share his passion and that of Moveable Feast with you. He began “helping out” over 20 years ago and continues to carry the mission of volunteer work at Moveable Feast forward.
2) Choose from several areas in which to commit your time. Our volunteers were divided between the kitchen, garden and office. However, it rained. . .and then it poured. No worries, Tom was quite masterful at finding alternative tasks crucial to the program. Because Moveable Feast’s volunteer procedures and position descriptions are clear and well-defined, the garden group easily took on other responsibilities including, follow-up phone calls and writing Thank You letters to volunteers.
3) Tom was adept at weaving our service that day into the rich tapestry of Moveable Feast history. We also received training in required procedures, were invited (recruited) to return for upcoming events and, walked out feeling like we had made a real difference.
4) If you’re interested in “tasting” Moveable Feast’s recipe for volunteering first hand, contact Tom and add yourself; groups are welcome!

At the conclusion of our Service Day, the Volunteer Maryland Peer Leaders, Joy and I, facilitated small group discussions with the Volunteer Maryland Coordinators reflecting on what we had learned at Moveable Feast. The reflections acknowledged the importance of including flexibility, humor and structure in a successful volunteer program. Each group prepared a demonstration that symbolized their experience. The demonstrations included group spoken word, ingredients to build a volunteer cupcake (Did you wonder where I got the idea for this post?) and a family convincing reluctant teenagers to get involved in service. This opportunity gave the Volunteer Maryland Coordinators personal practice in a successful volunteer experience. Now, they are putting this process into practice as they recruit and manage volunteer programs at their Service Sites.

2nd Annual B'More Aware of HIV: The Living Red Ribbon

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:03:00 +0000

The free meals Moveable Feast delivers to our neighbors help to give them the strength to fight HIV or AIDS, but we don’t just stop there. We work with AIRS and Chase Brexton (forming the Partnership for Life) to raise awareness about this disease so that less people need our meals in the future.

You can help.

Join us for the Partnership for Life’s B’More Aware of HIV: The Living Red Ribbon event:

When: World AIDS Day, Thursday, December 1st

9am-3pm | Living Red Ribbon at 12:30pm

Where: Coppin State University - Physical Education Complex

Why: To raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the Baltimore Community, to share available resources and information, and to provide a safe space for free HIV testing

Click image to see full details

Last year, we had hundreds of community members come out for the health fair, speeches, entertainment, free HIV testing, and formation of a living red ribbon. This year, we’re calling on even more people to stand with us in red.

For more information:

Read a volunteer’s reflections about last year’s event here
Peruse the front page B’More Aware article in our Fall Newsletter here
Visit: http://bmoreaware.kintera.org/ or call AIRS at 410.576.5070

AIRS Takes on People On The Move

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:57:00 +0000

For the past 12 years, Moveable Feast has developed and grown the program, People on the Move, a free driver training program and shuttle transportation system for people who are experiencing homelessness. Monday through Friday, our drivers made stops at numerous homeless shelters, picking up individuals and dropping them off at different resource centers around Baltimore City, including Health Care for the Homeless, Chase Brexton and the Department of Social Services.

This week, we are happy to announce that AIRS, a non-profit that provides supportive housing services, will be taking over the facilitation of People on the Move (POTM). POTM has helped to connect countless people to resources which have helped them to get back on their feet, and now AIRS will ensure that many more continue to benefit from this service.

To learn more about POTM through AIRS, please contact:

Linda Richardson

Operations Manager

410.576.5070 x31

To learn more about AIRS, click here.

Turning "Likes" into Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:41:00 +0000

How can carpet, hardwood and glass translate into meals for Marylanders in need? Floors Etc. is making it happen with your help. Floors Etc. is a local flooring boutique that has been serving Baltimore for 120 years. They’ve been voted “Baltimore’s Best Flooring Company” twice by Baltimore Magazine, and over the next three months, they are taking their customer and community service to a new level: Facebook.

From now until the end of December, Floors-Etc will donate $1 to Moveable Feast for every person that “likes” their facebook page. With our strong network of online supporters, this simple challenge could provide a lot more meals for men and women struggling with serious illnesses. So take a second to “like” Floors Etc.’s facebook page and spread the word!

Black Dragon's Dress to Impress Banquet

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:44:00 +0000

For the past three years, Black Dragon, a charismatic motorcycle group, has put their time and energy into staffing our final Ride for the Feast pit stop at the American Visionary Art Museum. They provide our riders with the motivation and encouragement to bike the final miles to our Mfeast offices in East Baltimore. Now they want to do more! Join Black Dragon members Too Hot, Kiss, Diva and Bouncie on Saturday, October 22^nd for their Dress to Impress Banquet. From 8pm-12pm at The Forum (4210 Primrose Ave, Baltimore), expect great food, an open bar, DJ Sugar Chris, door prizes and more!

(click to enlarge)

A portion of the proceeds will come back to benefit Moveable Feast!

Feeding More People

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:56:00 +0000

Early this month, Moveable Feast expanded our list of community partnerships and clients by joining forces with Feeding the People, a local non-profit that provides services for low-income diabetics.

Moveable Feast is pleased to provide diabetic-appropriate meals for up to ten Baltimore area clients, the cost of which is subsidized by Feeding the People. If you yourself or any friends or family members struggle with diabetes, you know how important nutrition is in maintaining both day-to-day and long-term health.

As noted on Feeding the People’s website, low income diabetics face three major obstacles to managing their nutritional needs:

1. The high cost of fresh, unprocessed whole foods;

2. The prohibitive expense of frequent trips to the grocery store to purchase perishable foods; and

3. The lack of intensive, ongoing, nutritional guidance and education.

As poorly managed diets can lead diabetics to have a number of serious complications, including obesity, kidney disease and strokes, the meals we provide, paired with the education and support services offered by Feeding the People, will save lives.

To learn more about the great work Feeding the People is doing, click here.

Homelessness on the Rise in Baltimore

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:51:00 +0000

No one should be sick, poor, alone and hungry. That’s what we believe at Moveable Feast, and why, beyond delivering food to people’s homes, we also provide meals for homeless men and women through a number of Baltimore City shelter services, including Jobs Housing Recovery as well as Code Blue Shelter.

Late last week, Morgan State released their 2011 Homeless Point In Time Census Report, and the results are disturbing. At any point in time, there are 4,088 individuals considered homeless in Baltimore, a 19.6% increase from their last census in 2009. Chronic disease was cited as one of the top three health concerns that impact the homeless population, and the study noted that, overall, “rates of HIV among the homeless are at least three times higher compared to the general population.” Even as homeless individuals experienced increased health issues, relatively few of them reported receiving treatment, including only 3.9% of those struggling with HIV/AIDS.

Those numbers—the thousands of men, women and children without a home and battling illness--- are hard to completely comprehend. The sad fact of a growing homeless population in Baltimore, however, makes the work we do --- putting nourishing food on the table for those who still have homes and those struggling to regain housing--- even more important.

To read the full report, click here.

September is Hunger Action Month

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Can you count how many times a week the words “I’m hungry” come out of your mouth? At Moveable Feast we’re guilty of it too; we’re ‘hungry’ while waiting in the microwave line to heat up our lunches or when sauntering up to our volunteer manager’s office to see what extra snacks he has to offer in between meals. Food is certainly crucial for all of us, but unlike our clients, not many of us have experienced the pangs of true hunger or the anxiety over finding our next meal.

That’s why September as Hunger Action Month is so important. It’s a chance to put things into perspective for the fortunate among us and a chance to take action to help the over 500,000 Marylanders living below the federal poverty level. While only a week and a half remains in September, there are a number of ways to participate:

1. Dine Out & Save Lives

Moveable Feast’s 18^th Annual Dining Out for Life event is tomorrow, September 22^nd! Eating out with friends, family and coworkers Thursday is one easy way to FEED people, FIGHT disease and FOSTER hope. There are over 40 participating restaurants who will be donating 20-50% of proceeds to Moveable Feast. Click here for the full list.

2. Food Stamp Challenge

While Maryland Hunger Solutions’ official Food Stamp Challenge started Monday, you can still check out their online Food Stamp Challenge Diary. These articles are written by people who commit to the challenge of feeding themselves for a week on a $30 budget (the average amount of food stamps people get in MD). Their diary entries will provide a glimpse into some of the challenges that food insecure people face on a daily basis.

3. Feeding America

Help Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, spread the word about Hunger Action Month by watching their celebrity videos (one of which is below) and sharing them with your friends. Their goal is to reach 1 million people by 9/30/11.

'Tis the Season...for Workplace Giving!

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:18:00 +0000

Moveable Feast is rolling up our banners, copying our materials, collecting our business cards and heading out to represent the great work we do at kick-off events and fairs across the Greater Baltimore region. Every year around this time, government and private employees alike have the opportunity to sign up for charitable giving through payroll deductions. It’s an easy, tax-deductable way to give back, and we encourage you to designate Moveable Feast for your gift (look for us under Community Health Charities!). With our average cost of $1.80 per meal, every $9 donation will provide 5 free, nutritious meals for a man, woman or child struggling with a severe illness. See our different designation codes below!

· United Way/Community Health Charities (CHC): all Central MD campaigns #6574

o Combined Charity Campaign (CCC): for Baltimore City Employees

o Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC): for MD State Employees

· United Way/CHC: Eastern Shore campaigns #54

· Combined Charity Campaign in Frederick: Government & public school employees #0527

· Chesapeake Bay Area Combined Federal Campaign (CFC): for Federal Employees #14810

If you see us at an agency fair or campaign tabling event, stop by to say hello!

Making Birthdays Sweet with Dia de los Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:37:00 +0000

Birthdays represent so many different things to different people; an exciting day to be celebrated, a marker of age and growing older, a time to indulge in guilt-free sugary deliciousness. For men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS or cancer, like those we serve at Moveable Feast, a birthday means another year of life lived, another four seasons witnessed. Despite the hardships of poverty and the daily struggle with illness, reaching another birthday means victory and hope.

A few months ago, to recognize these very important milestones, we started delivering a birthday card to our clients on their special day along with the usual meals. But just this week, Dia de los Cupcakes, a vegan cupcakery based in Catonsville, took these celebratory efforts to the next level. After learning about our mission, Liz Barr, the owner of Dia de los Cupcakes, offered to join our cause by donating birthday cupcakes. An expert at creating tasty vegan cupcakes, she had no trouble crafting cupcakes for our clients, which will be presented during the first delivery of each client’s birthday month. This Monday, we celebrated 12 birthdays through Liz’s first batch of specialty cupcakes. We are so happy to have Dia de los Cupcakes on board, helping to make each important birthday for our clients a little sweeter.

If you have an idea or talent you’d like to share to brighten our clients’ days, please contact Tom Patrick at tpatrick@mfeast.org.

Ryan White Update

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:59:00 +0000

It’s been two weeks now since we first announced our difficult decision to reduce services to our clients. As promised, we want to fill you in on what has happened since then and where we are in terms of resolving this situation.

The Good News: Moveable Feast recently received some partial reimbursements due to us through our Ryan White Grant, which supports us in feeding people with AIDS. This was for services provided through June, 2011. In addition, we have been informally notified of our remaining July-February 2012 award.

The Bad News: As we provided service over the course of 3 months without any reimbursement, the recent partial reimbursements are only enough to sustain our current level of reduced services. We will not be able to implement full service to our clients until we’ve received full payment for services already provided and new contracts from Ryan White that will fund us to continue providing services through February 2012. We are hopeful that these requirements will be met by October 1^st.

Your Response & Our Thanks: We’ve been overwhelmed by the tremendous support from our donors and volunteers since we posted our first update. So many of you have supported us financially – with over $30,000 in donations - and/or took time out of your busy schedules to come and volunteer in our kitchen or to make deliveries to our clients. You have our deepest gratitude for helping us and our clients during this challenging time. Thank you.

We will continue to keep you updated. We know that you share our hope that, very soon, this will be behind us and that our clients – who depend on us for their food – will again receive their regular deliveries.

Urgent Update from Executive Director Tom Bonderenko

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Dear Friends,

This week, I've had to make the painful decision to reduce the services that we provide to our clients. I've had to do this because we have not received funding from a primary federal grant - the Ryan White Care Act - that we use to provide food to people living with AIDS.

For the past 3 months, we have continued to care for our clients and have not been reimbursed for these services. Financially we cannot maintain this level of service, and so I have made the following difficult changes:

Service to our weekly clients will be reduced - clients will receive 36 meals a month, a 50% reduction in food.
Our clients who receive daily meals will now only receive 12 meals a week (as opposed to 18) and will only get a delivery 2 days a week, not each day.
Affected children of our clients will begin to be removed from service.

These are difficult changes to make and myself and our staff have worked to develop a plan that will allow us to continue serving our clients as fully as possible. Our goal is that ALL clients will continue to receive some level of food services, and that our most seriously ill clients will be given priority. For many of the men and women receiving service, Moveable Feast is their only resource for food.

Please know that the generous support from donors and volunteers, like you, has given us the ability to continue providing services over the past 3 months, even without the funding from the grant. Additionally, you have helped us to remain strong since the recession began in the Fall of 2008. We have not had to remove any clients from service or reduce the food we provide to them because time and again, our donors and volunteers support us and value our work to FEED people, FIGHT disease and FOSTER hope.

I need your support again during this difficult time. Please, donate today, and don't forget to Dine Out for Life on September 22nd. Your generosity continues to make a difference.

Thank you for caring about our clients and the work that we do. We will continue to keep you informed through our website, social media and email communication.

Gratefully,

Tom Bonderenko

Ending Hunger Now

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:07:00 +0000

Recently, TED, an innovative series of conferences on “Ideas worth spreading,” posted a talk by Josette Sheeran, the head of the UN’s World Food Program. In her 18 minutes on the stage, Sheeran tackles the topic of global malnutrition and her vision for ending hunger now.

While Sheeran primary speaks to the devastation of hunger and starvation internationally, her message still applies to our struggle with food in Maryland:

1. Access to food, not abundance of food, is a major barrier to addressing hunger (think Baltimore food deserts*, lack of transportation or low mobility, poverty)

2. 80% of people worldwide have no food safety net (our clients struggle with both poverty and severe illnesses--- most have no traditional support system to turn to in times of crisis)

3. Addressing hunger is more than a compassionate cause – there are true economic benefits gained by investing in healthier citizens (on the local scale, think lower emergency room costs, more self-sufficient and unified families, more productive community members)

Here at Moveable Feast, we believe that healthy, nutritious food is a right – and we provide it at no cost to both our clients and their dependent children – knowing that at the very core of what we do is hunger relief.

As Josette Sheeran puts it, “We cannot afford to not invest in the access to adequate, affordable nutrition for all of humanity.”

*According to the CDC, food deserts are areas where residents lack access to affordable foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet.

Over 60 Pounds!

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:57:00 +0000

So far this year, our plot in the Duncan Street Miracle Garden has brought in over 60 pounds of produce! Way to go, everyone! Thanks to all of our volunteers and staff members for making this possible.

Remember, if you'd like to volunteer with us in the garden, contact Sara at SMcClean@mfeast.org. We usually head out there on Friday mornings, but the date can vary from week to week. We'd love to have you join us!

RED MAPLE Chewpons Deal!

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Hey folks! Don't miss out on this great Chewpons deal to benefit Moveable Feast!

Rated 3.5/4 stars by Baltimore Sun restaurant critics and named "The Hottest Spot in Mt. Vernon," Red Maple is simply the place to dine, drink, and lounge.

The current Chewpons coupon is a 50%-off deal: for $15, get $30 worth of food and drink. Discover the Fireside Lounge, Rainbow Room, and Dance Floor at Red Maple....enjoy global-fusion small dishes, elaborate desserts, and signature drinks...all while benefiting Moveable Feast. How? A portion of your Chewpons online purchase will directly benefit us!

This Chewpons deal is only available for one week, so get yours today! Click HERE to buy!

Special thanks to Chewpons.com for their support of Moveable Feast services.

From Farm to Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:46:00 +0000

With all the heat & humidity lately, you may have been wilting, but the Moveable Feast Garden Program has been thriving. We've been harvesting numerous vegetables for use in our clients meals!

Check out the pictures below of the fresh veggies from our garden and from a volunteer's garden - made into healthy, nutritious salads for our clients.

Green beans, tomatoes, and yellow squash being prepared for use in salads.

Delicious salads, ready to be frozen and delivered to our clients.

By the way, if you're interested in volunteering in one of our gardens, we welcome newcomers! Simply contact Sara at SMcClean@mfeast.org to set up a time to volunteer - we usually go on Friday mornings. Learn more about our Garden Program here.

Good Fellas Happy Hour this Thursday!

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:10:00 +0000

The Good Fellas of Baltimore are at it again - hosting another event to benefit Moveable Feast...those generous, gracious fellas, we don't know what we'd do without them!

Join the Good Fellas on Thursday, July 21st for a happy hour fundraiser at Ciao Bella restaurant (236 S. High Street, Baltimore).

There will be specialty food & drink specials, with a portion of proceeds going directly to Moveable Feast! Any donation given at the door is appreciated but not required. See you there!

Click here to add this event to your Google Calendar.

Click here to see the official Facebook event page.

Great Food Quality

noreply@blogger.com (Moveable Feast) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000

From a breast cancer survivor and client:

I am enjoying your service very much. The jar of fruit was really, really good, and the frozen dinners are excellent. Thank you for all you do.

(January 2011)