Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 134
operations. But the mayor can improve participation through his office’s support for and promotion
of the program. Mayor Ballard was happy to help.
By launching Summer Servings with Mayor Ballard and Congressman André Carson, IHN knew
it would attract local media attention and that
would help build awareness among parents that a
program exists.
IHN also needed a strategy to inform parents
about summer meal sites near their homes. Sponsors of summer feeding sites, usually churches or
small community groups, haven’t got the budget
to pay for advertising, so IHN is doing it on behalf
of all 200+ sites. Resources from its partners in
the business community provided the needed
support. They also worked with 211, a service that
connects people to local human service providers
though their phone. IHN contracted with a marketing firm to conduct a survey and found very
few people with knowledge of 211. Now they are
promoting awareness of 211 as well.
IHN’s work is showing that innovation at the
BOX 4.2
WHY A PUBLIC/PRIVATE SYSTEM IS
OUR NATION’S BEST CHOICE FOR
FEEDING THE HUNGRY
Dave Miner, Indy Hunger Network
Some say that all food assistance should be handled by private charities, while others say it should all be
done by government. Our experience in Indianapolis suggests both public and private resources are vital to
ending hunger.
We meet the needs of the hungry in our community with federal programs administered through state
government (SNAP, WIC, school meals, senior nutrition) and with food provided by private charities (food
banks, pantries, soup kitchens, food recovery efforts). Together these solutions meet much but not all of the
need for food assistance.
Let’s look at why we need government to help fight hunger.
“Our experience in
1. Size of the problem—Sadly, the need for assistance is so great it
Indianapolis suggests
requires comprehensive approaches that are only possible with the
both public and private
federal programs. Figure 4.2 illustrates thi ?)??????????????(?$???????????Q=?????????M9@????????????????????????????????)?????????????t)??????????????????????????????????????????????????(?$?U??????????????????QI??????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????????????(?$?I????????????????QA???????????????????????????????????????? ???I????????????????)?????????????????????????????????e???????????????????????????????????????????((??? ?
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