Salem-News.com Hunger articles Page 23

UN Says Surging Food Prices Could be an Opportunity

$72 million in loans and grants are available for anti-poverty initiatives in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

(GENEVA) - The world must not only take immediate action to address the current food crisis, but also take advantage of the higher food prices by assisting farmers in developing countries to thwart similar situations in the future, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said today.

“The time for re-launching agriculture is now and the international community should not miss the opportunity,” the agency’s Director-General Jacques Diouf said in a statement.

Soaring Global Wheat Prices Increase Hunger for Millions of Afghans

WFP asks for $77 million in U.S. Aid.

(KABUL, Afghanistan) - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government of Afghanistan today urged the international community to fund a sharp increase in needed food assistance for poor persons and families in Afghanistan who cannot afford to pay soaring local prices for wheat, a staple of the Afghan diet.

Global food prices, particularly of wheat, have risen to all-time highs in the last 12 months, and have adversely affected millions of Afghans, for whom wheat flour is the food staple used in making bread.

Kaiser Permanente Employees Honor Dr. King with Day of Service Fighting Hunger

Employees will also provide free medical care to uninsured patients, refurbish donated bicycles, prepare food, gather clothing and hygiene items for farm workers and paint school classrooms and community centers.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Nearly 250 Kaiser Permanente employees from the Portland-Vancouver area will honor the memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by spending his national holiday volunteering to repack bulk food into family-sized portions in OFB's Maybelle Clark Macdonald Volunteer Action Center.

"We thank Kaiser Permanente for helping to fight hunger," says Rachel Bristol, OFB's CEO. "OFB faces a major food shortage due to declining donations from USDA and the food industry. Kaiser Permanente's donation and volunteer support come at a vital time as we work to fill the gap."

World Calls on Bush to Help Darfur

Where is the Peacekeeping Machine for Darfur?

(DARFUR) - Right now, this peacekeeping mission does not have any of the 24 helicopters it needs to protect the people of Darfur.
Advocates say President Bush must do everything in his power to secure commitments from world leaders.

A hybrid United Nations-African Union command officially took control of the peacekeeping mission for Darfur.
But people on the ground there say the mission is already in danger of failing. While countless billions are used in the fight against Iraq, this African nation slides further into the abyss, needing only a few helicopters, of which thousands and thousands in the U.S. sit unused.

Looking Back at Live Aid

On this day in 1985 an amazing concert was held to benefit people suffering from famine in Ethiopia.

(NEW YORK) - The Live Aid Concert was a series of rock concerts held to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia around the world in cites including London, Philadelphia, Sydney and Moscow.

The concerts attracted close to 200,000 people and using satellite link-ups and television broadcasts around the world attracted an estimated 1.5 viewers in 100 countries watching the concerts performed live. The Concerts were organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure and raised over $250 million.

Letter Carriers to Help Stamp Out Hunger Saturday

Last year’s the food drive generated more than 80,000 pounds of food throughout Marion and Polk counties.

(SALEM, Ore.) - Letter carriers in Salem will join letter carriers across America to do much more than deliver mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes on Saturday.

They will also collect donations of nonperishable food from their postal customers to Stamp Out Hunger during the annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive—the largest one-day food drive for Marion-Polk Food Share.

Most needed foods include canned tuna, peanut butter, soups, chili, Macaroni & Cheese, canned fruits, canned vegetables, cereal and pasta.

Ambitious American Venture in Tanzania, Africa Could Reverse World Hunger

A multi-million dollar project in Africa started by communists during the Cold War waits for completion, and a young man from Wisconsin believes reaching that goal could eventually help millions.

(MILWAUKEE, Wis.) - With the world in tatters in many respects, it is important to look for the positive. While the balance seems out of round in many respects, there are projects underway that do much to reverse the negative impacts, at least on a world scale.

One example that is making national news right now involves the story of a young man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who is trying to pull off something so big, that it seemed unreal to me at first, too good to be true. But perseverance is a quality that can buy a person a great deal and in this case, it could also lead to a reversal in world hunger trends.

Governor Challenges Oregonians to Food Stamp Challenge

This year, the Food Stamp Program is being reauthorized at the federal level through the nutrition title of the farm bill.

(SALEM) - Governor Ted Kulongoski has challenged all Oregonians to join him and his wife, Mary Oberst, during “Hunger Awareness Week” from April 23rd-29th, and live off of an average food stamp budget of $21 per person for the week - or an average of $3 per day, per person.

Food for Fines Week Coming to Salem Public Library

Food items will be accepted at the Central Library, West Salem Branch, and on the Bookmobile.

(SALEM) - For one week only, Salem Public Library will forgive fines for patrons who bring in donations of non-perishable food items between Sunday, March 25th and Saturday, March 31st.

This highly successful program pays off for library patrons and for families served by Marion-Polk Food Share.

The 2006 Food for Fines program generated 6,100 pounds in donations. Fines totaling $3,993 were cleared on 576 library cards.

No Plans for Thanksgiving Dinner?

To be included in this listing, email your group’s information to: newsroom@salem-news.com.

(SALEM) - Free Thanksgiving meals for the community are provided by several area businesses and organizations. Regardless of the late date, most of these groups would be very grateful for donations of food or of your time. Helping serve, wash dishes, bus tables or greeting people may be the perfect place for you to volunteer over this holiday. Call them for information.

Represented here are the cities of Salem, Keizer, Dallas, Silverton, and Stayton.