September/October 2011

Table Talk

Table of Contents Harvest Time Assistance Cuts World Food Day Quick Links Our Website Donate Now Volunteer Contact Us Facebook Twitter

Dear Friends, Welcome to Table Talk, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes' advocacy e-newsletter that's published six times each year. This e-newsletter will inform you on recent hunger news and legislation, as well as provide you with ways to be an advocate for hungry people in our community.

Harvest Time in Michigan

Be an active community member by attending local events or giving to a food collection

Make Your Voice Heard The key to a well-functioning democratic society is giving voice to the people and the people exercising that voice. Click the links below to contact your legislators to let them know your stance on food insecurity in Kalamazoo County. Contact your representative Contact your senator

This is a great time of year for giving and appreciating our community. Why not do both this fall by contributing to the 2011 Michigan Harvest Gathering collection and attending the annual Southwest Michigan Harvest Fest? Donate food or funds to Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes by Nov. 10 as part of this broader statewide effort. Stop by the Harvest Fest in Scotts on Sept. 18 to check out local vendors and family fun activities.

Assistance Cut Off to At-Risk Groups

College students and low-income families may need more charitable support Michigan may see more of it's residents in need of emergency

food due to recent cuts to important assistance programs. The Family Independence Program (FIP) now includes less exceptions on the 48-month lifetime limit on receiving cash assistance. 250 households in Kalamazoo County will lose this important supplemental support come Oct. 1, and every day more and more families will be added to that list. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is no longer available to more than 30,000 college students in Michigan. In Kalamazoo County, 48.5% of undergraduate students live below the poverty level, compared to about 20% nationally. Families and students shouldn't have to choose between tuition and groceries, or paying the mortgage and providing dinner for their kids. Help our neighbors and younger generation be successful by donating to our emergency feeding programs.

World Food Day: October 16

"Food prices - from crisis to stability" Nationally more than 50 million people are considered "food insecure" and nearly 20% of Michiganders don't have regular access to enough food for an active, healthy life - including 22% of kids in Kalamazoo County [hear a recent report by WMUK here]. We need to do something about this. The high cost of food affects us all. Show your support today by donating, volunteering, spreading the word that hunger is rampant in our community, and hopefully by enjoying a meal with your friends and family. Click here for more World Food Day details. If you received this e-newsletter from a friend and would like to be added to the Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes' mailing list, click here.