How the Lebanese Diaspora Is Mobilizing Against Food Insecurity at Home

Food insecurity across the heartland can be improved through the many solutions and advice provided in this article. Community gardens, cooking demonstrations, food pantries and food delivery are just a few examples.

In 2014, the community organization Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha piloted a community-based Food Buying Club in Philadelphia. This initiative allowed local residents to buy food in bulk at wholesale prices. The goal was to strengthen food security and combat the lack of affordable and nutritious food in their neighborhood. Despite distributing over 62,000 pounds of fresh produce, the program shut down due to financial reasons. Now, after forming an advisory council and working on their business strategy with others in the community, the club is reopening and is looking to expand across the city.

As a way to bring the community together and promote healing in Southeast Washington, D.C., residents created a garden known as Project Eden. Their garden has grown to a plot of land that grows roots, legumes, fruits, and greens with a greenhouse and aquaponics system that has fed thousands of people. The founders view the garden as a way to strengthen food security and encourage resiliency for an area where people have witnessed violent acts.

In Chester County, Pennsylvania where the land is said to be the most nutrient-rich in the country, the average household income is $90,000, yet poverty rates are increasing. To offer a solution to the food insecurity component of poverty, Farmer Pete Flynn along with a rotating cycle of volunteers have dedicated a portion of farmland to growing crops specifically for the local food banks.

Los Angeles-based nonprofit Food Forward was born out of the observation that many farmers are growing more fruit than they can sell at market. To cut down on food waste and get these viable fruits into the hands of people that are food insecure, Food Forward operates as the "transfer point between donors and receiving agencies," while also coordinating volunteers to forage the local farms and farmers markets.

Community volunteers, churches like the Mother Grove Goddess Temple and organizations like BeLoved Asheville are ramping up to provide relief to those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, providing everything from gas cans to camping supplies to winter gear and first aid supplies.

FoodCommune aims to reduce food waste by rescuing food before it ends up in landfills, redistributing about 6,000 pounds of food per week. FoodCommune gathers food from farmer’s markets, grocery stores, restaurants and other sources, redistributing enough to feed about 300 people each week.

Through volunteers and partnerships with other local organizations, the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Center distributes a month’s worth of food to families in need for free, as a large portion of the population is undocumented, unemployed, or otherwise ineligible for government assistance. The Center also provides services such as English language classes, a clothes closet, a diaper bank and assistance getting a driver’s license.

Sam Schimmel, a college student and member of the Siberian Yupik and Kenaitze tribes, helped organize a food drive on St. Lawrence Island in Alaska. The initiative, known as Operation Fish Drop — delivered more than 12,000 pounds of salmon to 400 families. It Brought together tribal councils, local fisheries, and volunteers to help address food security in Alaska Native communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After Boston Public Schools closed in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, about 70 volunteers tended schoolyard gardens at 14 schools to grow food for local families experiencing economic hardship. While students were not able to participate because of COVID restrictions, residents during the summer months cleaned garden beds and planted vegetables like eggplants, cucumbers, and peppers. Organizers expect to harvest about 300 pounds of vegetables by the end of September.