Hunger In A City Of Plenty

by Jen Heitman

Most people are content to ease their conscience on the hunger problem by throwing some spare change in a bucket, donating a can for a holiday food basket, or serving a free meal on Thanksgiving or Christmas. These actions, while necessary and admirable, don't address the root problems of hunger. Hunger isn't a problem only during the holidays. It exists year round, is found in Ann Arbor, and is increasing here at a rapid rate.

Under the Reagan Administration, cuts in Federal and State food programs have hurt people in Ann Arbor. Cuts in the Federal food stamp program mean 733 fewer Washtenaw County residents received aid in 1985 as compared to 1984. Eliminating school breakfast funds mean 200 low income Ann Arbor children no longer receive a free or reduced-price meal before they start their school day.

To meet these new and compelling needs, local agencies have been forced to pick up the slack created by the Federal government – so people can eat. Local food programs have become a necessary and ongoing food source instead of an occasional emergency resource. 1986 saw a 10 % increase in the number of individuals using the six largest local food programs. This includes a 4 % increase in the number of families forced to use alternative ways to make ends meet.

The Ann Arbor City Council is active in meeting the needs of hungry people in two basic ways. The Mayor's Committee on Poverty was formed to demonstrate the extent of hunger n Ann Arbor and to identify strategies to meet these needs. This evolved into the Emergency Needs Committee which meets quarterly to confirm needs and to oversee program effectiveness. The city also provides funds to local food programs. In 1986, $62,000 was given to: Bryant Community Center, Catholic Social Services, the Human Services Department of the Second Baptist Church, Ladies that Care, Northside Community Center, St. Andrews Breakfast Program, and the Salvation Army.

HUNGER WATCH, sponsored by the World Hunger Education-Action Committee (WHE-AC), a U-M student group, is documenting the extent of hunger among residents in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit, and Lansing. HUNGER WATCH plans to publish its report in March. (This reporter is the sole researcher for the Ann Arbor portion as a part of her graduate studies at U-M in Public Policy.)

Student volunteers are interviewing program administrators, health and other professionals, civic and religious groups, as well as program users in the four cities. Five Federal programs are being studied: Food Stamps, WIC (aid for Women, Infants and Children), Child Care Nutrition Programs, School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, and Elderly Nutrition Programs. Local organizations such as soup kitchens, food pantries, and food banks are also assessed.

HUNGER WATCH has three goals: to sensitize people to the issues of hunger, to educate people about hunger in their community, and to motívate people to work to alleviate hunger. We're confident that these goals will be met. Press coverage of the study has lead to initial sensitization. Exposure of the facts, namely Federal and State cuts and the increase in private assistance, educates people on the situation hungry people and food providers are faced with in four Michigan cities. The directory of private agencies provides a tool for people to get involved at the local, hands-on level. At the same time, we can advocate for changes in federal and state policies based on our own experiences in the community. HUNGER WATCH is compiling a summary of current legislation and legisiators' addresses to encourage broad based citizen lobbying on hunger issues.

In trying to arrive at a hard and fast number of hungry people in Ann Arbor, HUNGER WATCH has encountered a few obstacles. The agencies collect cumulative numbers of program participants. This means that a person may be counted multiple times if he or she returns to the same program during the year. Also, at this point, there is a lack of good demographics on how old program users are, their employment status, whether or not they have children, how many utilize a variety of local agencies, or how many receive federal assistance. To rectify these two problems, City Council's Emergency Food Distribution Committee will begin compiling monthly figures of the number of people served and will try to determine the characteristics of the hungry population in Ann Arbor. An additional problem is that one cannot merely add up all of the figures for the different food programs and arrive at the number of hungry people. Since programs offer a variety of services, a hungry person may utilize many different programs to meet their needs. While this presents a problem for quantifying hunger, it represents the chronic nature of hunger. Some people will use our inability to present a hard and fast number of hungry people as a way to circumvent giving money to local programs. We've seen this tactic used by the Reagan Administration, and by other conservative forces, but we won't let this ploy stop us. With the help of City Council, it may be possible to arrive at a number of hungry people in Ann Arbor within the next few years. For now, it is clear that the local agencies are being utilized more heavily, that this is in direct correlation with cuts in public food programs, and that this problem needs to be addressed.

In response to these unmet needs, a number of steps are in order. Educate yourself and others on the issue of hunger in Ann Arbor. Read the HUNGER WATCH repon when it comes out in March, talk to hungry people, or go to a workshop on hunger given by the Interfaith Council's Task Force on Hunger. Help out local food programs. This can take the form of giving your time to a soup kitchen or donating food or money to a local agency.

While individual help is always welcomed, group efforts can have a more marked impact. Lobby for hungry people at the local, state, and federal level. City Council has shown great sensitivity to the issue, so cali your councilmember and encourage them to increase funding to meet the increase in need. (Send them this article.) Find out how state and federal food policies effect local food programs and write your representatives to convey your opinion. Tell them there is hunger in your community and challenge them to do something about it. Address root causes of hunger: poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and a lack of affordable housing. The number of hungry people will continue to grow unless we responsibly use our abilities and resources to work to alleviate hunger in Ann Arbor and beyond.

Directory of local food providers

ANN ARBOR COMMUNITY CENTER
625 North Main Street
662-3128
Contact: Kent Bernard
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

Contact: Vera Greer
Program: Ladies that Care - Hot Meal

BRYANT COMMUNITY CENTER
3 West Eden Court
994-2722
Contact: Lefiest Galimore
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
117 North Main Street
662-4534
Contact: Freedy Jackson
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH
850 Red Oak Street
663-9369
Contact: Johnnie Mae Baylis
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

HUNGER COALITION
604 East Huron
663-1870
Contact: Sheila Clancy
Program: Hot Meals

HURON HARVEST FOOD BANK
4090 Packard Road
971-9222
Contact: Tom Mahs
Program: Food Distribution to Local Food Providers

NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER
809 Taylor
994-2985
Contact: Lefeist Galimore
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

PEACE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
662-3564
Contact: Bonnie Billups, Jr.
Program: Youth and Job Training Programs, Food Coupons

RED CROSS
2729 Packard
971-5300
Contact: Jeff Hutchinson
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

SAFE HOUSE
P.O. Box 7052
973-0242
Contact: Gabby Bublitz

ST. ANDREWS BREAKFAST PROGRAM
306 North Division
663-0518
Contact: Mary Long orTrudy Courtney
Program: Free Breakfast

SALVATION ARMY
100 Arbana Drive
668-8353 or 668-7212
Contact: Jack Wilson
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution

S.O.S COMMUNITY CRISIS CENTER
114 North River, Ypsilanti
485-8730
Contact: Andy Burke
Program: Emergency Food Bag Distribution, Cheese Hot Line

Groups Studying Hunger in Ann Arbor
HUNGER TASK FORCE OF THE INTERFAITH COUNCIL FOR PEACE
640 East Huron
663-1870
Contact: Chuck Barbieri

WORLD HUNGER EDUCATION-ACTION COMMITTEE
4202 Michigan Union
Contact: Cindy Phillips 662-9765 or Jean Cilik 663-3560

ATTENTION:

While the Ann Arbor section of the report has been completed, additional help is needed for research in Ypsilanti, Detroit, and Lansing, for public relations work, and for distribution. If you are interested in working with HUNGER WATCH this semester, or if you would like to know more about the project, please call Cindy Phillips at 662-9765 or Jen Heitman at 747-6329.