Episode 127: Think Twice before Hosting a Back-to-School Food Drive
About the Podcast
In this “Candid Clancy” episode, Clancy shares why food drives at schools can be harmful. It’s 7 minutes you don’t want to miss.
About Clancy Harrison
As a registered dietitian, TEDx speaker, international speaker, and author, Clancy Harrison challenges the way food insecurity is approached in the US. Her mission to demolish the stigma around healthy food access places her on the cutting edge of advocacy.
Clancy is the founder of the Food Dignity® Project, a strategic program for leaders who want to shift how they approach nutrition outreach by making healthy food access a priority. She transforms the lives of thousands of people through her work with corporations, non-profit organizations, and universities.
Currently, Clancy is an advisory board member for the Pennsylvania American Academy of Pediatrics Food Insecurity EPIC program, Ambassador of the National Dairy Council, and the President of the Al Beech West Side Food Pantry. Since the onset of COVID-19 Clancy has distributed nearly 1 million meals in her community to improve access to healthy food through effective collaborations.
Discussion Takeaways
- Sometimes food drives at schools unintentionally put the kids and their families who utilize food access supports into a tough situation.
- If you have a food drive at school:
- Have alternative contributions for kids that is not necessarily food related. Ask them to write a note to someone in-need or bring in plastic bags from the grocery store, so the food pantry you’re donating to can use them during their food distributions.
- Hold a food drive at your school, and serve the food to all students who attend.
#1 tip to improve access to healthy food
- We need to make sure we do not solicit food donations from those who need them the most.
Each week on the Food Dignity® Podcast, the Food Dignity® Movement's Clancy Harrison hosts a wide variety of hunger experts and other people making changes on the frontlines. Join us as we dive deep into conversations that will change the way you think about food insecurity.
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