It’s not that they don’t have her hands full—all of them will be coming off hectic successive weekends filled with graduations and alumni reunion celebrations – but as my friend Leslie Muhlhahn from Just Desserts says, “We’re all busy, but being sure hungry kids get fed is important.”

Over a third of our students in the Ithaca City School District participate in before- and after-school food programs and receive free or reduced-price lunch. Programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as Food Stamps)
and WIC (Women, Infants and Children) also make a big difference, but current State
and Federal budget problems threaten to reduce funding to these effective programs.

Hunger and poverty are complex issues – feeding a hungry child is not. Unlike some of
the medical ailments that plague our society, the strategies and tools to effectively wipe
out childhood hunger in our lifetime currently exist.

Four local agencies that benefit from the monies raised at Taste of the Nation which serve
as examples of how we effectively address the problem of childhood hunger in our local
community are:

● The Food Bank of the Southern Tier’s Backpack Program which ensures that
school-aged children have access to nutritional food on the weekends when
school feeding programs are not available.

● Healthy Food for All a farmer-driven initiative in partnership with Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County which makes fresh, organic, locally
grown produce accessible to families with limited income through subsidized
CSA shares and Cooking Matters nutritional cooking classes.

● Ithaca Community Harvest, specifically it’s BJM snack program which provides
fresh fruits and vegetables (mostly local and organic) to every classroom every
school day at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School.

● The Youth Outreach Program offers support and assistance to young people, ages
16-25, who are homeless and living on their own without a parent or guardian.

Certainly there is no magic bullet and no one agency that can end childhood hunger by
itself. Share Our Strength, the national organization that oversees Taste of the Nation,
looks to fund organizations that have proven they can effectively run programs that will
address these core issues.

So where do you fit in? Just being aware of the problem is a start. Getting involved with

any of the organizations mentioned above is certainly an option; you would be welcome
with open arms. You can also attend Taste of the Nation, or help at the event; we’d
welcome you with open arms as well. Sure we’re all busy, and all this takes time (and
money). But, as Leslie Muhlhahn will remind you, “…being sure hungry kids get fed is
important.”

Jerry Dietz is chair of the Taste of the Nation committee. Taste of the Nation will be held
on Tuesday, June 19th at Ithaca College’s Emerson Suites. For more information visit
www.ithacatasteofthenation.org.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Please find more information about these important Ithaca agencies here.

Corporate Reception Co-Sponsor: Cornell Pochily Investment Advisors is an independent registered investment advisory firm. They provide client focused investment advisory services to individuals and companies. Their mission is to form professional relationships with each client based on trust and confidence.

We are appreciative for their long-time support and their continued Co-sponsorship of the Corporate Reception at Taste of the Nation. Please visit cornellpochily.com

WATCH THE VIDEO

Local Presenting Co-Sponsor:  Sysco Food Service – Syracuse

Sysco has supported Taste of the Nation for all 22 years that the event has taken place in Ithaca.  Their commitment to the success of our local restaurant community and their unwavering commitment to Share Our Strength’s mission to end childhood hunger have been critical to the success that the Ithaca Taste of the Nation event has enjoyed over the years.  They are a true partner in every sense of the word and we are grateful for their support & in awe of their generosity. Please visit syscosyracuse.com

Local Presenting Co-Sponsor: The Strebel Planning Group

The Strebel Planning Group mission is to contribute significantly to the personal well being of their employees, clients, and others who come into contact with them. They do this by exemplifying the degree of caring they have for all of our constituents, their commitment to offering services and products that truly help people to realize their dreams, as well as offering a workplace environment that supports attainment of their employee’s dreams. They want to be known as the only place to go to access this breadth of services, all offered with the highest degree of professionalism, knowledge and concern for other’s well-being.  Please visit strebelcpa.com.

Tue. June 19th 2012 at Emerson Suites/Ithaca College  5:30-6:30pm

VIP Corporate Reception 6:30-9:00pm General Admission 9:00-10:30pm Dancing