In the News . . .
Toledo Blade
Article published Friday, September 12, 2008
Battle against hunger unites diverse faiths
Leaders preach on aiding the poor
( THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH ) |
Representatives of Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu faiths participated in the third annual Interfaith Hunger Awareness Service, attended by about 100 people at Epiphany Lutheran Church in South Toledo.
Scriptures from four holy books - the Jewish Torah, the Christian New Testament, the Islamic Qur'an, and the Hindu Bhagavad Gita - were read, commanding followers to aid the poor and feed the hungry.
The program included music, prayer, and two children's skits as well as short sermons by Muslim and Christian clerics.
In one skit, seven children representing the continents read statistics on hunger and poverty. North America has 6 percent of the world's population, for example, but consumes 22 percent of the food. Asia, on the other hand, has 58 percent of the world's population and consumes 23 percent of the food.
Dawud Walid, who is an imam, or Islamic spiritual leader, in Detroit and is the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the audience that "I am a hungry person right now."
But he was hungry, he said, because he was observing the Muslim practice of fasting from dawn until dark during Ramadan, the ninth lunar month.
Millions of people in the world are hungry, not by choice, he said, but because they lack the resources to feed themselves.
Mr. Walid said the Prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam, said a person is not a believer if he goes to bed with a full stomach while his neighbor is hungry.
And the Prophet defined a neighbor as someone who lives within 40 homes to the left, right, front, or back of one's home - meaning the whole community, Mr. Walid said.
The Rev. Lee Powell, whose nondenominational CedarCreek Church draws 8,000 people a week to its three campuses, said he and other evangelical leaders had been "AWOL" for too long in the war on hunger and poverty. Calling himself a "novice" in the arena, he cited a number of efforts CedarCreek is undertaking, from fixing cars for single mothers in the church to helping AIDS orphans in Latin America.
The Bible makes a "clear call" to help those less fortunate, Mr. Powell said, citing Jesus' words in Matthew 25: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. …"
Heather Fetterman, marketing specialist for the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, said before the service that an estimated 207,000 Ohioans and 35 million Americans are living on the brink of hunger.
Toledo Blade
Article
published Saturday, June 9, 2007
Interfaith effort boosts awareness of hunger
By
DAVID YONKE
BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
Representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Islam, and
Christianity - are cooking up a plan to alleviate hunger in northwest Ohio.
An interfaith program titled "The Face of Hunger Will Surprise You," to be held Thursday night at Toledo's St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, seeks to boost awareness of hunger in the local community as well as raise money and bring in food donations for the cause.
Charlotte Boyd, administrative coordinator at St. Martin de Porres, said the central city church has seen a growing demand for meals and groceries lately at its food bank and Claver House soup kitchen.
"More and more families are needing assistance with food," Ms. Boyd said. "When I come into work here in the morning, I see guys waiting to go into the Claver House or they have already eaten and it's so humbling. But for the good grace of God, there go I. Each and every one of us could be one paycheck away from being hungry and homeless."
A local Muslim group raised $1,700 to buy more than 400 pounds of meat that it donated to the Northwest Ohio Food Bank.
"God and the Qur'an say that there is no distinction between a hungry Muslim and a hungry non-Muslim," said Hassan HassabElnaby, director of the Muslim American Society's Toledo chapter.
"It is our responsibility as a Muslim, as a citizen, as a member of this community to help regardless of any other consideration - race, religion, whatever," he said.
The Northwest Ohio Food Bank provides supplies to a network of 308 agencies in eight counties, according to Holly Muraco. The food bank has distributed more than 63 million pounds of food in its 22 years of existence, she added.
Last year's interfaith service was held at Rosary Cathedral and the second annual program, at St. Martin de Porres, is scheduled to loosely coincide with the national Hunger Awareness Day, observed Tuesday.
The Toledo interfaith service will include music, liturgical dance, a procession, readings from holy texts of the three faiths, and a talk on poverty and hunger issues by Deacon John Algee, pastoral leader of St. Martin de Porres.
Also participating will be Irina Zaurov of the United Jewish Council of Greater Toledo; the Rev. Chester Trail, pastor of Grace Temple Church of God in Christ; the Grace Temple Choir; a mime and dance troupe from Friendship Baptist Church; Women of Grace dance troupe from St. Martin de Porres; Mohammed Ahmed of the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo; the Rev. Carolyn Eyre of Bible Temple Worship Center, and Rabbi Barry Leff of Congregation B'nai Israel.
The Second Annual Interfaith Service: "The Face of Hunger Will Surprise You," will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, 1119 West Bancroft St. Admission is free; nonperishable food donations will be accepted at the door.
© 2007 The Blade
Article published May 7, 2007
Chefs, restaurateurs got raves at
Taste of the Nation Toledo
More layers of flavor, more creative presentations, and trendy ingredients
mad
e food the big story at Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation
Toledo.
The annual gourmet food event that benefited anti-hunger efforts in Toledo was held at Cousino’s Navy Bistro at the Docks on April 29. With the 35- plus restaurateurs, chefs, and food vendors serving their food, ticket holders and volunteers meandered from table to table.
The four national chefs brought raves from the crowd of
nearly 1,000 guests. San Francisco food personality and cookbook author
Joanne Weir featured Gnocchi with Roquefort Cream, which was so creamy and
cheesy that many diners went back for seconds. R.J. Cooper of Vidalia in
Washington had a perfect taste of mini rosemary biscuits layered with
barbecued pork served with Vidalia onion slaw, which is used as an amuse-bouche
at the restaurant.
Don Yamauchi, executive chef of Tribute in Farmington Hills, Mich., featured
coconut curry crab soup made with fresh shiitake mushroom, crab, and micro
cilantro. I watched him fill the mini bowls with a “shotgun sauce dispenser”
to keep pace with the crowd.
Eve Aronoff of Eve The Restaurant in Ann Arbor had a spectacular display of
Thai Minced Chicken wrapped in a wonton skin and flash-fried like a little
fritter. Little bowls of Carrot-Lime Puree and creme fraiche offered
additional dollops of flavor. For the presentation, three large mirrors
doubled as serving platters mounded with the Thai Minced Chicken fritters
accented with beautiful spring pansy flowers.
The local chefs were equally creative with presentation and flavor. Gus
Mancy told me about his inspiration for the tasting from Mancy’s Steakhouse:
Roasted Beet Salad with Sliced Beef Tenderloin on fresh arugula and spinach
topped with grated Cabrales Blue Cheese with Walnuts and sherry vinaigrette.
To hear his complete explanation, visit toledoblade.com.
Next to this table was Mancy’s Blue Water Grille, where Chef Rob Campbell
served Macadamia Nut Crusted Opakapaka, a Hawaiian pink snapper with a
wood-grilled artichoke salad and grapefruit berre blanc. It was delicious.
Chef Campbell was not the only chef using crushed nuts on entrees.
Chef Mike Rosendaul of Ciao! featured pistachio and pine nut encrusted rack
of veal served with a pan-roasted spinach and portabella risotto cake and
micro arugula. The veal chops, a true delicacy, were slim and tender and
reminiscent of a lamb chop.
Chef Erika Rapp of Diva prepared hazelnut crusted veal sweetbreads with
Johnny cakes and roasted sweet corn milk.
Toledo’s classics were also on hand.
Chefs from Labib Hajjar’s Beirut and Byblos served the famous lamb chops and
hummus. Nearby, his son, Elias Hajjar of Poco Piatti, featured Bayou shrimp
with a spicy sauce and cornbread pudding.
George Kamilaris of Georgio’s Cafe International featured his signature crab
cakes served with pesto cream sauce. Premier Catering with Chef Todd Vander
Pol also had crab cakes with a sweet red bell pepper sauce. Lee Tebbetts of
the Rose & Thistle Pub & Restaurant featured sole stuffed with Alaskan King
Crab.
Mike Sader of Gianno’s at the Inn filled his table with fresh seafood,
including poached salmon, oysters on the half shell, mussels, and scallops.
Fifi’s Restaurant had steak Diane tips on crostini. Nearby, Frog Leg Inn’s
grilled lamburgers with herbed cheese pleased the crowd, and a tiered
serving tray held the most perfect chocolate truffles.
Expanding the culinary spectrum was Cousino’s Navy Bistro and corporate chef
Lance Scott with crispy duck confit wontons with yuzu glaze and micro-mint.
Chef Alan Mehar of Evans Street Station in Tecumseh featured a roulade of
chicken and pancetta.
Chef Rick Whitehead of Gladieux Catering pulled out all the stops with the
crusted wahlu escalar served with a white bean and spinach risotto cake and
a compote of tomato and poached elephant garlic with lobster beurre blanc
and a touch of osetra caviar. It was a delicious combination.
Happily for Helen Lambert and Laura Notestine of the Katz Sisters Authentic
Midwestern Cheesecakes, their array of delicious desserts was in the thick
of the culinary tasting this year, thanks to the 10,000-square-foot tent for
the chefs.
Sushi lovers got their fill of California & Spicy Tuna Rolls at Koto Buki
with Dennis Chung, and at Yoko Japanese Restaurant, Steve Lee featured Maki
Rolls. “There’s spicy tuna inside and fresh tuna on the outside of the
Hawaii rolls,” says Mr. Lee. The Washington Roll is similar, with spicy
salmon inside and fresh salmon on the outside.
The 2007 grant recipients are Aurora Project, Toledo Day Nursery, Toledo
GROWs and Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank.
Kathie Smith is The Blade’s food editor. Contact her at: food@theblade.com
or 419-724-6155.
|
Article published
November 24, 2006
|
Luke Dunlap, 8, assists outside Takacs Meats as his uncle, Arthur
Dunlap, father, Allen Dunlap, and Lou Takacs unload the deer Luke
shot. The deer is being donated to feed the needy.
( THE BLADE/ANDY MORRISON ) |
An avid outdoorsman, Mr. Dunlap aims to bag his deer limit each fall during Ohio's hunting season. That's a lot of summer sausage, roasts, and jerky.
So it was with a freezer full of meat and the knowledge that people are hungry that Mr. Dunlap and his twin brother, Arthur, decided to take over the local chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.
Now, a week into Michigan's firearm season and only days before Ohio's firearm season opens Monday, the organization, as well as similar groups in Michigan, is once again reminding hunters that each pound of venison can feed up to four hungry people if donated to area food banks.
"I got involved in this originally because it's a cause," said Mr. Dunlap, 39, of Sylvania, a 27-year hunter who has since passed his passion to his two sons. "I love to hunt, so why not help somebody?"
Mr. Dunlap points to the numbers. Last year, hunters in Ohio harvested more than 209,000 deer, nearly 900 in Lucas County alone. In Michigan, 414,000 deer were harvested during the 2005 hunting season.
In contrast, 33.6 million people, including almost 13 million children, live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger, according to information collected by the national chapter of Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.
Begun in 1997, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry has helped to bring nearly 13 million servings of venison to soup kitchens and food pantries across the country.
With about 100 chapters in 30 states, including both Ohio and Michigan, the organization partners with hunters and meat processors to turn a hunter's prize into a nutritious meal for the needy.
Rick Wilson, executive director for the national organization based in Maryland, said Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry was born several years ago on a day he stopped to help a woman with what he thought was car trouble. Instead, he learned that she was hungry.
"It turned out to be a little, six-point buck. I assumed she hit it with her car," he said, recalling what it was that the woman needed help with. "She said no, she didn't hit it, she just wanted to take it home because her kids were hungry."
Within a week or two, Mr. Wilson found meat processors in his area willing to reduce the cost of processing venison and began donating meat to those in need.
The concept grew.
In Michigan, Neal Easterbrook formed the Michigan Sportsman Against Hunger organization, which brings in about 50,000 pounds of donated venison in a good year. Recently, the organization successfully lobbied the Michigan Legislature, and now hunters and anglers can donate money to Michigan Sportsman Against
Hunger every time they buy their licenses.
"I shot a deer, and I shot another deer, and then I realized I had a lot of venison, so I took it to the Salvation Army in Detroit," Mr. Easterbrook, 41, of Shelby Township, Mich., said of the 1991 beginnings of the organization. "I got my buddies together, and we put a couple hundred pounds of meat together. It grew and grew."
Food banks welcome the fresh meat, something that is often missing in donations and too expensive to purchase outright. Dan Flowers, president and chief executive officer with the Akron-Canton Food Bank and an avid hunter, said that food banks will often pick up the donated meat, but he reminded that it first has to be processed properly.
"From a charitable standpoint, there's just a huge need for food," Mr. Flowers said. "We have a considerable working poor, and the demand for food has never been greater."
In Toledo, Mr. Dunlap's group works directly with the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, which offers up the meat to shelters and those who need it.
"The Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank has a relationship with area hunters wanting to donate to those who are less fortunate," said James Caldwell, food bank president and CEO. "We welcome anyone interested to learn more about the program, especially with meal opportunities over the holiday season."
For more information about donating venison, go online at www.fhfh.org, or in Michigan at www.sportsmenagainsthunger.org
Article published Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Study Finds Need for Food Help is Growing
Working Poor are Added to Rolls, it says
By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Once believed to affect only the homeless or unemployed, hunger in America has taken on a new face: the working poor.
According to a new nationwide study, more than 25 million Americans seek emergency food assistance each year. In the Toledo area, nearly 297,000 visits were made by people seeking help from a local food distribution agency last year.
Nearly 26 percent of those local clients had at least one adult working in the family.
The study, called "Hunger in America 2006," shows hunger has become an issue for even those with jobs.
People who work often must choose between paying their utilities or buying food or foregoing rent or a mortgage payment to provide their family a meal, said Maura Daly, director of communications for America's Second Harvest, which conducted the study.
"What is really telling about this study is that such a large number of clients we're serving have at least one adult working," she said. "It's difficult to imagine that people who have a job are coming home at the end of the day and have to make choices between food and other basic necessities like rent, utilities, or medicine."
Since 2001, the number of clients served by food banks in America's Second Harvest network has increased by 8 percent. Each week, about 4 million people nationwide receive emergency food assistance from an agency within the network.
According to Mr. Daly, the network reaches about 25 million of the 38 million Americans identified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as living within a "food insecure household."
Locally, the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, which is a member of America's Second Harvest, serves 314 agencies in eight area counties. The food bank distributes more than 2 1/2 million pounds of food each year in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Henry, Wood, Williams, Defiance, and Fulton counties. Hollie Muraco, of the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, said the study hopefully will bring an increased level of public awareness of those residents struggling to make ends meet, even if they have a job. "The 25 million Americans talked about in this study, part of that is us," she said. "The numbers of the working poor are rising."
The Salvation Army of Northwest Ohio, which is in the midst of its annual food drive, serves several families in the Toledo area. Although the agency brings in its own food donations, it also uses the Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank to keep its pantry full.
And like other agencies that help put food on area residents' tables, the Salvation Army is seeing more people come through its doors, Robert May, a spokesman for the organization, said. "We will serve about 150 to 250 families a month out of the food pantry and at least 25 individuals a day," he said. "It doesn't seem to go down. There are those that leave and then we pick up more that need help."