By Ty Louis, Reporter
Cereal, a common breakfast meal in 70% of all American households, is strangely vacant in most of the diets of Rome, GA citizens. The cause? A vast number of individuals in Rome live below the poverty line with food insecurity. With the last meal on their mind is overpriced cereal. Despite a substantial amount of citizens living with food insecurity, it is hard to find an unfed mouth in this vast city. Relying on international and local organizations, and college campuses, to do their part to ensure every stomach in Rome is full.
20.6% of all Rome citizens live below the poverty line, which is 1.5 times higher compared to other parts of Georgia. Almost half of the local population lives with food insecurity, often preventing them from leaving the cycle of poverty. That is, gaining enough money for food, then spending said money on food, resulting in a cycle of poverty, from which most citizens cannot escape.
The Partners Helping Fight Food Insecurity in Rome
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) is a nonprofit organization that looks to strengthen its community. Partnering with 25 community organizations, including Atlanta Community Food Bank, Food Lion Foundations, Homegrown Family Foods, Tyson Foods Foundation, and Summit Hills Foods, the YMCA receives financial donations and food donations for people suffering from food insecurity.
They also partner with the Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries (NWGAHM), a local organization that directly fights against food insecurity in the Northwest GA region and works with the YMCA by distributing food to them that is used in many of the YMCA’s programs.
Programs that aim to fix the food insecurity that plague many citizens in Rome and the surrounding cities. “Through these efforts, the Y [YMCA] promotes resilience, inclusion, and opportunity,” said Amanda White, Director of Anti-Hunger Initiatives, and lover of Honey Nut Cheerios.
Programs Feeding Children and Families Who Suffer from Food Insecurity
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides nutritious meals to children during the school year. This is how children who frequent Thrive, an afterschool program funded by the YMCA, are fed every day of the school week. “You can tell how much the kids enjoy eating with us [Thrive staff] after school, with those big smiles on their faces,” said Kris McClure, Thrive staff member and Fruit Loops fan.
A food pantry at Restoration Rome, the location of Thrive, offers food assistance for immediate use and emergency food needs. Partnering with the NWGAHM, Restoration Rome distributes Backpack Buddies, which the NWGAHM makes, to families and children who frequent Restoration Rome. “It’s [Food pantry at Restoration Rome] very beneficial for the children and families in the neighborhood,” said Gale Thacker, Restoration Rome Receptionist and Cheerios supporter.
Backpack Buddies are made with children in mind; over 2,000 Backpack Buddies are packed in a week with nutritious food, easy meals, and treats. They are then served to Rome City Schools, Floyd County Schools, Chattooga County Schools, Polk County Schools, and Restoration Rome.
“Backpack Buddies is something the NWGAHM does, where they go out to schools to give kids food over the weekend. I used to deliver the Backpack Buddies to schools, and principals, teachers, and counselors would tell us how much it helps the students,” said Isabela Hurtado, NWGAHM Volunteer and Fruity Pebbles connoisseur.
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) offers free meals to children during the summer months; this includes two rural distribution sites and two non-congregate feeding sites that provide food for families and children, up to five days’ worth of food a week.
Programs Feeding Everyone in Food Insecurity Distress
“Hunger does not have a face. We see people from all walks of life. Seniors, [the] disabled, people experiencing job loss, and cancer patients, to name a few,” said Linsey Kilby, Executive Director of Northwest Georgia Hunger Ministries and Cinnamon Toast Crunch enjoyer.
There are monthly mobile food markets that provide convenient grocery distribution, as well as the Bi-weekly Food Co-op that allows participants the opportunity to choose the food they need directly. “We provide fresh fruits and vegetables [at the monthly mobile food markets, and the Bi-weekly Food Co-op] because we want to promote whole health and nutrition,” said White.
Whilst the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) delivers pre-packed senior food boxes to support seniors in need with nutritious and shelf-stable foods. In addition, the NWGAHM delivers to individuals who have trouble moving around or don’t have a means of transporting the large amount of food that is given to them.
Furthermore, the NWGAHM provides its own services to help with the poverty crisis and hunger relief efforts. The Bagwell Choice Pantry serves 1,000 families a month and supplies families with food, essential goods, and a sense of community. At the same time, they distribute food regionally to people suffering from the hunger crisis. It is a joint operation between the NWGAHM, 27 local churches, food pantries, and ministry programs to distribute food across the Northwest Georgia region.
“About 85% of the food that we have on hand [At the NWGAHM] we purchased from Atlanta Community Food Bank,” said Kilby. The Atlanta Community Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is one of the leading domestic hunger relief charities in America. Kilby also receives donations from the Midwest Food Bank in Peachtree City, which are used and distributed to their partners.
While it might not be the name-brand cereals on shelves in the NWGAHM pantry, the food that is available is healthy, nutritious, and purchased with relieving hunger in mind for their large demographic, as well as the demographics of the organizations they partner with.
One Colleges Efforts in Providing for Their Community
Located just outside Rome city limits, Berry College, with 27,000 acres of land, is one of the largest food providers in Floyd County. “We have been busier than ever compared to previous years,” said Kimberly Howard, Dining Hall employee and Golden Grahams buff. Busy feeding all the guests who visit Berry year-round, busy feeding the students who call the campus home, and busy assuring there is no food in the trash.
Any food that is not eaten in the school’s dining hall, affectionately referred to as dhall by the student population, is repurposed into different meals in the cafeteria. Any other food is donated to composting groups and farmers who would make use of said food for their crops and animals.
“We don’t want food to go to waste,” said Eric Warner, Residential Director of Berry College Dining Hall and Reese’s Puffs consumer. Dhall also donates to food pantries, like the Salvation Army, and the Red Cross, all to ensure no food is wasted and given to the right people to redistribute it.
The Future of Food Insecurity in Rome
Strides are being taken to make sure Rome citizens are not going hungry. While food insecurity is still present in Rome, these organizations and schools care for every mouth, belly, and appetite of those in need. While the mission is far from over, the strides being taken are large, and the results are noticeable. “One meal, one child, and one family at a time,” said White.
Those fighting against hunger in Rome all believe in liberating those in hunger crisis, helping people break the poverty cycle, and ensuring no one lives with food insecurity. Donating to the YMCA, and the NWGAHM can help these organizations obtain more resources and is an easy way to contribute to the fight.
Maybe when this fight against hunger is over, when no one has to worry about their next meal, cereal could be a staple in all American homes.