Food Gatherers

Hunger is here in my community, Ann Arbor. The economy is bad, and more people need help than ever. Demand for government programs and private food distribution has almost doubled in the past 5 years.

Food Gatherers is a local organization that tries to alleviate hunger, so I'm thinking about them -- and I've donated to them as well. Their purpose: "reducing food waste through the rescue and distribution of perishable and non-perishable food, coordinating with other hunger relief providers, educating the public about hunger, and developing new food resources."

Food Gatherers collects food from grocery stores and other sources. According to the local online news, "A large number of the local organizations that give out food receive the bulk of their food from Food Gatherers.... The organization also directly distributes food through its Neighborhood Grocery Initiative that serves 17 different apartment complexes or neighborhoods."

I spend a lot of time thinking about food in what may be a somewhat trivial way. I cook. I read about food in history and about food and cooking as reflected in literature. I write about food. I question what food is healthful, and read about food politics and controversies as to what is healthy to eat. I also try to think about people for whom even less-than-healthful food is a luxury, because they simply don't have enough to eat. So I'm thinking about Food Gatherers.