Close the Gap: An Educator Guide

STORY: Diversity at Food Shelves


For over one hundred years, Neighborhood House has served immigrant and working class communities on the West Side of St. Paul. As demand for food shelf access increased over the last decade, Neighborhood House has contributed to meeting that demand. Families, like Xai Neng's, visit the food shelf regularly to pick up items to which they otherwise might not have access. One challenge that Neighborhood House has faced has been matching its food stock with the cultural practices of its clients in order to give comfort in the midst of new and often unfamiliar surroundings. In this vein, the Neighborhood House tries to offer ethnically appropriate food as much as possible, because the poundage of food is limited for each family, so that the proportion of food that is used increases. Neighborhood House also offers immigrants assistance in areas of clothing, housing, transportation, employment, and language.
Key Terms
Food Shelves Food insecurity
Immigration Survival Skills
Resources Self-Sufficiency
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Before Viewing

What are food insecurities? Do you know of anyone experiencing food insecurities?

After Viewing

  1. What is Neighborhood House? What kind of services does it provide?
  2. Why do you think the demand for food shelves has increased over the last decade? What socioeconomic factors contribute to people's use of food shelves?
  3. Why do people use food shelves? What kind of circumstances lead to it?
  4. What has been one of Neighborhood House's challenges in providing food to new immigrants? How is it responding?
  5. Why is it important to provide culturally appropriate food?
  6. What connection does this story have to your life? How will improving lives of one segment of society improve all of our lives?
Suggested Activities

Got Food?

This activity will help students to learn about food and hunger issues in their local context. By exploring the data and engaging in a group discussion, the students will develop a better understanding of food insecurities, and empathy for those who experience them.

  1. Introduce the activity

    Ask students to think about what comes to mind when you say "food insecurities." Write the phrase on the board or flipchart sheet, and ask students to brainstorm ideas. Do not stop to discuss or challenge the ideas; all ideas should be accepted and recorded during brainstorming. When all ideas have been recorded ask students if they want to add, remove, or modify anything on the board. Work with students to develop a working definition of food insecurities. When the definition has been created, explain that students will work in groups to learn about food insecurities in Minnesota.

  2. Divide students into groups

    Divide students into groups of 3-5, depending on class size. Give each student a copy of Handout 1: Food Insecurities in Minnesota.

  3. Work in small groups

    Ask students to take 1-3 minutes to read the handout individually. Next, ask students to discuss it in small groups. Ask each group to choose one or more spokespersons who will later present to the larger group. Allow 20-25 minutes for the small group discussions. Instruct the spokespersons to record major points and run the summary by the group before presenting.

    Possible questions for discussion:
    1. List three new things that you did not know about food insecurities in Minnesota which excited, surprised, or upset you.
    2. What are positive and negative facts about Minnesota's handling of food insecurities?
    3. Who are the people who use food shelves?
    4. What are the reasons for using food shelves?
    5. Why do you think reliance on food shelves has increased in the past few years?
    6. What do food insecurities have to do with housing or minimum wage?
    7. Why do you think women, children, and people of color are disproportionately affected by food insecurities?
    8. Who do you think should address the issue? What factors contribute to a successful solution?
    9. How can you be a part of this solution?

  4. Discuss and Debrief

    Ask the spokesperson/s for each group to present their summaries. Allow a couple of questions after each presentation, but ask participants to hold their comments and discussion until all groups have presented. When all groups have presented, discuss in plenary:

    • How did you feel about this activity?
    • What have you learned from other groups? What do you strongly agree or disagree with?

Handouts
  • Handout 1

    • Going Further
    1. Human Rights Framework

      1. Continue the discussion about food and food insecurities within the human rights framework. Introduce the "right to food" as contained in international human rights documents below.
        Discuss: What is the right to food? What does the right to food entail (e.g., availability, adequateness, accessibility, etc.)?

        Universal Declaration of Human Rights

        Article 25: "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food..."

        International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

        Article 11: "States Parties. recognize the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living. adequate food... States Parties... recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, shall... improve methods of production... and distribution of food... by... reforming agrarian systems... ensure... equitable distribution of...food supplies."

        Convention on the Rights of the Child

        Articles 24 & 27:

        "States Parties... shall... in case of need provide... nutrition, clothing and housing. States Parties... shall... in case of need provide... nutrition, clothing and housing."

      2. Have the students take a Right to Food Quiz
        http://discoverhumanrights.org/98d2b0ef-8ffa-4a5e-92b1-
        89978975d232.html?nextId=15ac31f5-6909-4d04-93da-ed22ab98f729
        Discuss: What information surprised you? Do all people in the U.S. have access to food? What government programs attempt to help low-income people? Who else should be involved in solving this problem? How can you help?

    2. Localizing statistics

      Students can also review The State of Hunger in Minnesota. Survey of Food Shelf and On-site Meal Program Recipients in 2005 [1] prepared by Wilder Research to gain more information about food insecurities in the state.

      Other useful sites:
      1. Twin Cities Compass www.tccompass.org
      2. Mind the Gap Report http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2005/10cities_sohmer/20051027_mindthegap.pdf

    [1] www.wilder.org/reportsummary.0.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1890