Episode 167: Defining Emergency Foods and Emergency Food Distribution
About the Podcast
Today, Clancy speaks with Dion Dawson. He is the Founder and Chief Dreamer of Dion’s Chicago Dream. Growing up experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, he runs a $4 million award-winning non-profit that employs 28 people and provides free fresh fruits and vegetables to more than 1,200 Chicago land households in need every week.
About Dion Dawson
Dion Dawson is the Founder and Executive Director of Dion's Chicago Dream. It is an innovative non-profit social enterprise combatting food insecurity. He has a decade of experience in leadership, social entrepreneurship, and executive communications. Dion is also a TEDx speaker and a U.S. Navy veteran.
Discussion Takeaways
- We don't realize the current makeup of emergency foods. The average person in America does not know about emergency food.
- In a perfect world, people can get amazing quality food without having to face the elements and wait in longer lines.
- The problem with the current emergency food distribution is that we have a level of food distribution using the last-mouth metric while not having a mouth-direct program. This might be either an assumed metric or made up.
- There are so many times we are assuming a problem and creating a solution based on assumption.
- Food security is completely multi-faceted and completely connected to all of the levers of chains that need to move.
- The most pressing issue with food insecurity is the lack of understanding of the food system.
- Food Dignity is the ability to holistic pride, love, and happiness when discussing, participating in, and building anything food-related.
#1 tip to improve access to healthy food
While eradicating food insecurity may be impossible, we can manage it by focusing on income, education, logistics, and diverse leadership. Together, we can enhance the food system for everyone.
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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