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Dear Team,
This year, we’ve all been called on to step up. Together, we weathered a global pandemic that rocked our lives forever. When mask mandates lifted and we felt like we had the all clear, gas and food prices soared and we felt stuck in place all over again. As prices surged, so too did the number of people needing food. We continue to see a record turnout at our food pantry. Like record-record. In recent months, we exceeded the level of need we saw in April of 2020. If you live around here, you’re well aware of the impossible pressure on working families.
But the harder things get, the more people roll up their sleeves and organize for change knowing our only way out is up.
Fortunately, working class folks are resourceful, wise, and fiercely committed to helping each other rise. Local people are pooling resources, sharing apartments, splitting meals, chipping in gas money and trading child watch all while juggling multiple jobs. This is as beautiful as it is grim and absolutely necessary in times like these.
In 19 years since our start, we’ve seen the root causes of hunger get deeper. We’ve seen a society that increasingly undervalues working class folks. Now, as staffing shortages plague local business and cost of living plagues the workforce, our community is being called on again to step up.
So many people have answered the call. This year, we’re celebrating students who are filling gaps in the school system and people giving back at Bloom to ensure everyone has access to good food. We’re celebrating folks who are addressing the root causes of hunger, like business owners who prioritize employee wellbeing and homeowners who rent to long-term locals.
People helping people gives us hope, but to keep this hope alive we need to organize for lasting change. We’re grateful to have a strong team who can do just that. At the core of every great social justice movement is community. We know that our community runs deep and the number of all-around good people in our circle is in the tens of thousands.
Thank you for all you did to step up this year and for all you will do as we continue on this road together.
In Gratitude,
The Hunger Coalition Team
Each of us has a role in the movement and there are so many ways to get involved. Click on the images of the amazing people below to learn more about how they’re making our community a better place.
There has been a big increase in people seeking food support this year — we are now serving over 500 families each week or 240% more than our pre-pandemic numbers. It’s an honor to be able to provide food for everyone who needs it, but we must also challenge the reasons these numbers are so high to begin with.
With the addition of heated greenhouses to our community farm and garden, we’ve increased the amount of homegrown, Bloom food we can share by 30%. Food goes home with volunteers, Bloom Youth Project interns, and ends up in our weekly grocery boxes.
We opened the doors to our community kitchen so talented people could bring a recipe forward and share with hundreds of people during our food distributions. Dinners included burritos, Thai noodle bowls, and roasted chicken with pasta salad.
These are folks who are all about showing up. Our digital street team takes action on issues like Quality Education, Affordable Housing, Immigration Rights, and so on and so forth. passionate about advocacy and are responsive to opportunities to speak up for working class folks. If you think of it, sometimes one extra voice at a city council meeting or three more people speaking up for quality education can make the difference.
We are so grateful for all of you who help power the movement to end hunger. Whether you’ve stepped up and accessed food, given your time or money, shared your wisdom, split your food box with a neighbor, spoke up at a Planning and Zoning meeting, joined a community event, turned out to vote, cooked up a meal in our kitchen — anything, anything that helps the greater good, thank you. The number of people in our circle is growing and we couldn’t be more grateful that you’re a part of it.
++ Harvest Heroes
° Legacy Club
* Deceased
Our sincere apologies for any errors or omissions. Please email info@thehungercoalition.org so we may correct our records.
3rd grader, alturas elementary school
“To support our community, we built an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on our property to help provide long-term housing for locals. Even though we might be able to make more money from Airbnb, housing locals was our priority.”
hunger coalition board member + owner, nested strategies
hunger coalition legacy donor
Hunger Coalition Program Manager, Blaine County School District Board Member
I feel like this quote sums up what it’s like to be a part of The Hunger Coalition.
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” – Mother Teresa
Hunger Coalition Board Member
Hunger Coalition Partner, Community Organizer
The Hunger Coalition builds a healthy community through access to good food and addresses the root causes of food insecurity in collaboration with key partners. (like you!)
Estudiante de Último Año de la Wood River High School y miembro de Nosotros United
Estamos orgullosos de colaborar y celebrar a las personas de nuestra comunidad que están a la vanguardia de la defensa dirigida por la comunidad. Nosotros United es un grupo estudiantil que promueve la mezcla de todas las culturas y los sueños ambiciosos para todos. Este equipo es una fuerza para el bien y hablamos con Janett Patlan, miembro del último año de secundaria de Wood River, sobre sus esfuerzos.
Janett nos habló de su sueño para nuestra comunidad: un lugar donde todos se acojan entre sí, uno donde todos se sientan cómodos sin importar su raza o el idioma que hablen. Ella quiere ver a todos unidos disfrutando de este hermoso valle y todos debemos presentarnos para que esto suceda.
En una asamblea escolar, el equipo de Nosotros United reconoció un obstáculo evidente para su sueño. Los estudiantes cuyas familias habían emigrado recientemente a los EE. UU. estaban sentados en un rincón del gimnasio, aislados del evento. Se dieron cuenta de que el entorno no estaba preparado para que estos estudiantes tuvieran éxito. Al mismo tiempo, Janett trabajaba en la oficina principal con apoyo bilingüe limitado. Cuando un padre de familia de habla hispana llamara, estaría agradecido por la ayuda de Janett para navegar el sistema escolar. Cuanto más escuchaba, más entendía lo importante que era estar a la altura de las necesidades de sus compañeros de clase.
En respuesta, Nosotros United inició una Noche de Padres regular o Noche de Bienvenida para Padres. The Hunger Coalition tuvo el honor de organizar uno en el Bloom Community Food Center la primavera pasada. A Janett le preocupaba que nadie se presentara, pero el evento fue tan popular que se quedaron sin asientos. Nosotros United luego se reunió con su director para hablar sobre las oportunidades para que los estudiantes bilingües obtengan créditos de doble inmersión mientras traducen en la oficina principal. Sus ideas fueron aceptadas y se está trabajando en un plan gracias a la poderosa colaboración entre los estudiantes y la administración. Jannett espera que la idea se extienda por todo el distrito escolar, ayudando a más y más familias a prosperar.
Coordinadora de Producción de Alimentos, The Hunger Coalition
Un miembro de nuestro equipo agrícola, Mel Weber, compartió una historia sobre la magia de la comunidad que experimentó en The Hope Garden este verano.
SElla dijo: “¡En Volunteers for Veggies, un miembro de la comunidad trajo su máquina para hacer helados y juntos preparamos un poco de helado de mora cultivado por Hope!
Son estos actos de generosidad espontánea los que dan sabor a nuestras noches V4V. En la superficie vemos todos los diferentes ámbitos de la vida cultivando un huerto a cambio de productos. Si miras un poco más de cerca, comienzas a captar más sabores de la comunidad. Sabores de recoger ramos de flores para alegrar el día de alguien, conocer a un nuevo vecino, hacer preguntas sobre jardinería.
Algunos vienen para aliviarse un poco de la rutina diaria con un relajante trabajo de deshierbe. Los niños experimentan gusanos y prueban bayas nativas de nuestro bosque de alimentos. Siempre hay alguien con quien charlar y es fácil ganarse la camaradería después de desyerbar una zona de hierba especialmente rebelde. Un participante que vive en su automóvil solo toma algunas verduras para comer como refrigerio. Vienen más para expandir su comunidad y su experiencia semanal. Son estas cosas, junto con la comida, las que hacen que nuestros espacios de jardín se sientan como en casa para tantos”.
Abogado de Inmigración, La Alianza de Idaho
Nuestras asociaciones son algunas de nuestras relaciones más valiosas. Las causas fundamentales de la inseguridad alimentaria son muchas y se necesita un equipo fuerte para construir una sociedad que eleve a todas las personas. Nuestros amigos de The Alliance of Idaho están trabajando para hacer precisamente eso. Su misión es proteger los derechos humanos de los inmigrantes y sus familias. Su objetivo es construir comunidades seguras, justas y acogedoras para todos. Estamos orgullosos de compartir esta visión y colaborar para llevarla a cabo.
A menudo, los efectos de nuestro sistema de inmigración afloran en nuestras filas de alimentos. Cuando alguien viene por comida, pero expresa la necesidad de asesoría legal, el equipo de The Alliance puede apoyarlo en su viaje de inmigración. Para centrar mejor a la población inmigrante local, las oficinas de The Alliance están al otro lado de la calle, nuestra codirectora ejecutiva, Naomi Spence, forma parte de su junta directiva y su abogado de inmigración, Luis Campos, forma parte de la nuestra. Compartimos muchas mesas, usamos sombreros diferentes y podemos ayudar a más personas juntas.
voluntario
John Boeher ha vivido en Idaho desde Coeur d’Alene hasta Riggins y Boise, estuvo en la Marina y ha estado viviendo en West Magic durante los últimos cuatro años. Primero se conectó con The Hunger Coalition para cumplir con algunas horas de servicio comunitario y se quedó por el sentido de comunidad.
John dijo: “Empecé a trabajar en el almacén empacando cajas de comestibles y luego me ofrecí como voluntario para preparar comidas en la cocina. Hice sopa de salmón y burritos y lavé los platos durante MoleFest. Me gusta ser voluntario en el Almacén cada vez que puedo hacer autostop para salir de West Magic. Es muy tranquilo allí, el complejo suele estar cerrado, por lo que no hay mucha socialización. Me gusta venir a Bloom por el aspecto social”.
María Hernández dijo: “MoleFest fue una experiencia hermosa, nunca había participado en algo así, por lo que fue un gran problema ser invitada como chef. No me di cuenta de que era una competencia de cocina, pensé que solo me estaba ofreciendo como voluntario para ayudar, así que cuando gané, me entusiasmé aún más, me motivé aún más para ser parte de la comunidad. Conocí a mucha gente nueva e hice muchos amigos nuevos.
Lo más especial de mi lunar es que hace feliz a mi familia, hace felices a mis hijos. Cuando visito a mi hija en Washington, ella dice: ‘¡Quiero mole!’, lo que lo hace aún más especial cuando puedo compartirlo con ella”.
What’s most special about my mole is that it makes my family happy, it makes my children happy. When I visit my daughter in Washington, she says, ‘I want mole!’ which makes it even more special when I get to share it with her.”
We are proud to collaborate with local folks who are at the forefront of community-led advocacy. Nosotros United is a student group that promotes the blending of all cultures and ambitious dreams for all. This team is a force for good and we talked to member and Wood River High School senior, Janett Patlan about their efforts.
Janett told us of her dream for our community: a place where everyone is welcoming of each other, one where everyone is comfortable regardless of their race or what language they speak. She wants to see everyone united enjoying this beautiful valley and all of us need to show up to make it happen.
At a school assembly, the Nosotros United team recognized a glaring obstacle to her dream. Students whose families had recently immigrated to the U.S. were sitting in one corner of the gym, isolated from the event. They realized the environment wasn’t set up for these students to succeed. At the same time, Janett worked in the front office with limited bilingual support. When a Spanish-speaking parent would call, they would be grateful for Janett’s help navigating the school system. The more she listened, the more she understood how important it was to rise to the needs of her classmates.
In response, Nosotros United began a regular Parent Nights or Noche de Bienvenida para Padres. The Hunger Coalition was honored to host one at Bloom Community Food Center last spring. Janett was worried no one would show up, but the event was so popular they ran out of seats. Nosotros United then met with their principal to discuss opportunities for bilingual students to earn dual immersion credits while translating in the front office. Their ideas were embraced and a plan is in the works thanks to the powerful collaboration between students and the administration. Jannett hopes the idea spreads throughout the school district, helping more and more families thrive.
A member of our farm team, Mel Weber, shared a story about some community magic she experienced at The Hope Garden this summer.
She said, “This summer, during a Volunteer for Veggies (V4V) session at The Hope Garden, a community member brought in her ice cream maker and we whipped together some Hope-grown blackberry ice cream!
It is these acts of spontaneous generosity that flavor our V4V nights. On the surface, we see all different walks of life gardening in exchange for produce. If you look a little closer, you start to
pick up more flavors of community — flavors of picking bouquets of flowers to brighten someone’s day, meeting a new neighbor, or asking questions about gardening.
Some folks come to get relief from the daily grind with relaxing weeding work. Kids
experience worms and taste native berries from our food forest. There is always someone to chat with and it is easy to gain comradery after weeding a particularly stubborn patch of grass. One participant who is living in their car only takes a few veggies they can snack on. They come more so to expand their community and their weekly experience. This is what makes our garden spaces feel like home to so many.”
immigration attorney & Executive Director, The Alliance of Idaho
Our partnerships are some of our most valuable relationships. The root causes of food insecurity are many and it takes all of us to build a society that uplifts all people. Our friends at The Alliance of Idaho are working to do just that. Their mission is to protect the human rights of immigrants and their families. Their goal is to build safe, just, and welcoming communities for all. We are proud to share in this vision and collaborate in order to see it through.
Often the effects of our immigration system surface in our food lines. When someone comes for food, but expresses a need for legal counsel, we’re grateful for the team at The Alliance who can support them on their immigration journey. To best center the local immigrant population, The Alliance’s offices are just across the street from us, our co-executive director, Naomi Spence sits on their board of directors and their immigration attorney, Luis Campos, sits on ours. We share many tables, wear different hats, and are able to help more people together.
John Bohner has lived across Idaho from Coeur d’Alene to Riggins and Boise, was in the Navy, and has been living in West Magic for the last four years. He first connected with The Hunger Coalition to fulfill some community service hours and stuck around for the sense of community.
John said, “I started working in the warehouse packing grocery boxes and then volunteered to make meals in the kitchen. I made salmon chowder and burritos and washed dishes during MoleFest. I like to volunteer in the Warehouse whenever I can hitch a ride out of West Magic. It’s really quiet there, the resort is usually closed, so there’s not a lot of socializing. I like coming to Bloom for the social aspect.”
Promotora, MoleFest Chef
In June, we celebrated the national dish of Mexico with a friendly (low-key fierce)
cooking competition of six distinct Moles from six incredible chef teams. People from down the street and folks from hundreds of miles away came together to enjoy the event. The food was accented by baile folklorico dance, music, raffles, a distinguished table of judges, crafts for kids, lots of laughs, and lively debate over whose favorite deserved the coveted Ladle of Glory.
Maria Hernandez, winner of the Judges’ Pick, said,”MoleFest was a beautiful experience, I had never participated in anything like it so it was a big deal to be invited as a chef. I didn’t realize it was a cooking competition, I thought I was just volunteering to help, so when I won, I became even more enthused, even more motivated to be a part of the community. I met so many new people and made so many new friends.
What’s most special about my mole is that it makes my family happy, it makes my children happy. When I visit my daughter in Washington, she says, ‘I want mole!’ which makes it even more special when I get to share it with her.”