HOW TO TURN 'NOTHING' INTO NOURISHMENT
Reprinted with permission from the Sept/Oct 1996 issue of
Southern Tier Earth Times
Who says you can't get something for nothing? Certainly not local
food recovery programs which, every day, rescue food otherwise headed
for the landfill. The food is taken to soup kitchens to feed the
hungry, turning what might have seemed like "nothing" into
nourishment.
These programs, Broome Bounty and Stone Soup, work hard to find out
where good, nutritious food is being thrown out.
Broome Bounty was started two summers ago by Carolyn Gilligan of
Vestal, after she read a newspaper article about food recovery
programs in other regions. What began as one woman's dream
materialized into a success when Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse
(CHOW) picked up the fledgling project, providing the liability
insurance that such a program needs.
CHOW is an emergency food source protected under the 'Good
Samaritan' law. It is a local program with a history dating back
nearly 20 years, supported by the community and exclusive of
government funding. CHOW has specific food handling restrictions to
which Broome Bounty volunteers must adhere, including temperature
guidelines. More and more establishments are participating, according
to Gilligan. Broome Bounty picks up food five days a week in a
refrigerated truck and delivers it to local soup kitchens. Yet, even
five days of food recovery are not enough, says Gilligan, who adds
that Broome
Bounty probably recovers only 10 percent of what is currently
available.
One of Broome Bounty's principal concerns, primarily in the summer
months, is that they are receiving quality, unspoiled food to
distribute. Dee Jester, Broome Bounty's program manager, explained,
"If there is any suspicion that we cannot distribute recovered food on
time, we do not pick it up."
The rescued food goes to the downtown Binghamton Salvation Army
soup kitchen, which operates five nights a week, as well as to two
other church-sponsored meal centers open the remaining two evenings.
Jester attributes Broome Bounty's success to strong community
support and helpful volunteers. "The public understands that 99
percent of hungry people will be fed by our programs," said Jester,
adding, "We're honest. There are no CEO's with Jaguars here."
Jump-starting their cars and working for minimum wage must be worth
it for the dedicated individuals who commit themselves to the work, as
the programs continue to grow. Jester explains that Broome Bounty
would like to become more pro-active in the future. By concentrating
on nutritional education programs
as well as helping the needy network with social support agencies,
Broome Bounty hopes to eliminate hunger by the year 2000.
While Broome Bounty works hard to recover leftover prepared food,
Eliot Fiks, of The Whole in the Wall restaurant, Binghamton, has
devised another way to recover edible and nutritious morsels.
Fiks' program, called Stone Soup, is named after the classic folk
tale about three soldiers on their way home from war who teach some
villagers the true meaning of giving.
Stone Soup makes wise use of the extra food used during cooking
that would otherwise be wasted. Collected and frozen in small
containers, these "stones" are then made into a soup. "It really helps
round out our meals," says DiAnn Small of the Salvation Army.
Just as the famous tale relates how the villagers gradually added
food to the soldiers' soup of stones, Fiks explains how other food
establishments have joined The Whole in the Wall in its war against
hunger. Those restaurants include The Roaring Fork in Vestal and The
Hitchin' Post in Harpursville. With other local restaurants already
interested in this innovative program that combines waste prevention
with humanitarian efforts, Fiks hopes for adoption of Stone Soup on a
national level.
"We want every restaurant in the country doing this by the year
2000. This is something that is a regular source of food. Once you
start making it, it can happen every week," says Fiks, who is trying
to get national franchises to adopt his idea. "While on the surface
there seems to be no financial motivation to save food from the
garbage, donations are tax-deductible," he adds.
Both Broome Bounty and Stone Soup find better ways to recover food
every day. Feeding hungry people with nutritious food that used to be
cast aside is an exciting concept. The Broome County Restaurant
Association has committed itself to wider implementation of the Stone
Soup concept this year.
"Broome Bounty has been very interesting and fulfilling. The
solutions are there...the food is there," says Gilligan.
GARDENERS: GOT EXTRA VEGGIES?
When you've had your fill of zucchini pancakes, remember that area
food banks are eager to accept your plethora of garden produce:
- Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, 81 Main Street,
Binghamton. If you have quantities, call 724-3354 or 724-9130 to
arrange pickup.
- The Day Nursery Association, 32 Stuyvesant Street,
Binghamton. Call Betty Ann Puzo, 722-4529.
- Catholic Charities Food Pantry, 232 Main Street,
Binghamton. Call 729-9166 for more information.
- Clothing Bank, Chenango Forks (behind Charlotte Kenyon
School). Open M-F 3-5pm; SAT 10-12. Call 648-4915 for more
information.
Jeanne Stevens
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