It was in 2000 that Zamir Hassan first realized that there was a huge hunger problem in America — and he soon discovered that he had the tools to solve it with a new play on more traditional soup kitchens.

Nonprofit Feeding America estimates that one in every eight Americans faces hunger, but this is often an invisible problem in many parts of the United States, like the affluent New Jersey neighborhood where Hassan was living with his family.

Living proof of the American dream, Hassan first arrived in the U.S. in 1973 to attend grad school and quickly gained success in the relatively new industry of information technology. In fact, he was doing so well that he was blind to the hunger around him, until the day that he attended a soup kitchen as a chaperone with his son’s school, and his vision of his world changed.

“This is in one of the wealthiest communities in New Jersey,” he recounts. “I was really shocked. We served, like 225 people. And I said, ‘Wow, they live in my backyard, and I had no clue?’”

Hassan refused to stand by idly — he immediately decided to respond to the hunger problem, a decision driven in part by the tenants of his faith.

“I’m not supposed to go bed if my neighbor is hungry,” Hassan says of Muslim doctrine.

It was then that Hassan launched the program that would become Muslims Against Hunger, a grassroots effort that united people interested in giving back to the community in a way that was even more inclusive than traditional soup kitchens.

“A soup kitchen can require 13 years of age or 16 years of age for a volunteer,” he explains, noting that his program welcomes volunteers as young as seven.

Muslims Against Hunger grew quickly, thanks to training packages created by Hassan, reaching 20 different cities in just a few short years. As long as a group had six good volunteers, they could launch their own “franchise” of the idea, meaning that it was relatively simple to start a new branch in a new city.

In 2011, however, Hassan realized that there was a problem with his original plan: certain people were unable to reach the distribution centers. In many areas, Hassan would notice homeless people hanging out in parks or at train stations, far from the nearest soup kitchens and with no means to get there.

“So I came up with this whole idea of a mobile soup kitchen, which I named Hunger Van,” he says.

The principle is simple: volunteers meet somewhere — a church, a home, even a park, in the summer — and assemble healthy vegan meals, to be distributed by van to local hungry populations.

“The people we are feeding, they don’t end up eating good food, healthy food,” Hassan notes of his decision to make the meals vegan. “Also, vegan food is more sustainable, and to create a better world, we need a more sustainable approach to growing food and eating food.”

That said, while food might be the reason that volunteers come together — and, indeed, the impetus of the program as a whole — Hassan says that it is not his central focus.

He notes that while the program now spans about 5,000 volunteers and about five vans nationwide, “The van is really a metaphor.”

The symbol of the program takes a backseat to the feeling of community that Hassan has created with the program. “The number of vans really isn’t that important,” he says. “Just people getting engaged and involved.”

In the past six years, the Hunger Van program has expanded past American borders to Canada, India, Pakistan, Haiti, and Nigeria, with about one event a week in major cities. Hunger Van also works in cooperation with other groups, like the Hare Krishnas, for other regular soup kitchens.

And Hassan shows no sign of stopping – a retiree, Hassan has made Hunger Van his full-time job.

“I work nine days a week now, traveling around and mobilizing people,” he says. “And that’s what kind of keeps me motivated to engage people, get them mobilized. Faith or no faith, it should not be acceptable to anybody to have hunger.”

Related on EcoSalon
A Global Analysis: Is Biotechnology Really the Only Way to Solve Hunger?
Treating Hunger with Surplus Food is a Tactic, Not a Solution
World Hunger: Climate Change, Food Waste, and Elegant Solutions

The post Mobile Vegan Soup Kitchens are the Food Truck Answer to the U.S. Hunger Problem appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnWhat better way to use food, than for good? The Giving Table is a creative way to harness the power of food blogs.

When I discovered the The Giving Table, I knew I had stumbled upon something that was right up my alley.

Those of us that talk, write, and post about food are privileged to be able to do so. While we might be concerned over whether or not cardamom or cinnamon would be a better spice to use (answer: cardamom) most of the world is simply dealing with getting food on the table. As I wrote a few weeks ago, “We have to start to learn how to turn passion for food into a passion for improving the food system, taking the pleasure that we get from eating and transforming it into advocating for real food, not only for the privileged, but for everyone.”

And that is when I came upon The Giving Table, which is attempting to do just that.

Started by Nicole Gulotta, The Giving Table’s tagline is simple: “Doing Good with Food.” Gulotta does that by mobilizing food bloggers and others to participate in social campaigns. Think about all those food blogs and all those food blog readers out there. If you could get them all to put some money towards a good cause, it would be sure to have some impact. Well that’s exactly how Giving Table works. It recently wrapped up a campaign supporting the Lunchbox Fund, an organization who provides daily meals for orphaned and impoverished children in townships and rural areas in South Africa.

I caught up with Gulotta to learn more about the inspiration for The Giving Table, how it works and how she sees the food world changing.

Anna Brones: What inspired you to launch The Giving Table?

Nicole Gulatta: As a food blogger, I was looking for ways to give back in a meaningful way. I started researching nonprofit organizations that worked in the food realm but couldn’t find what I was looking for online, so I created The Giving Table to act as a resource. Over time, it’s evolved into a platform to empower other food bloggers to take action and help improve the food system.

AB: Give us the basics for how it works?

NG: Food bloggers develop content for their websites every day and attract loyal readers through their engaging storytelling and delicious recipes. The Giving Table’s “donate a post” model works in tandem with this content, and fits seamlessly into existing strategies. It’s a regular post with a deeper message. Every post includes three sections—a narrative, a recipe, and a call to action—and guidelines are provided for every campaign so our messaging remains consistent. The day of the event, bloggers help spread the word on social media, and reach out to their networks to join us.

AB: When we talk about “good food” it very quickly gets labeled as a pretentious thing. What can we do to democratize the subject of food?

NG: I think people assume it’s pretentious when they haven’t experienced it for themselves. Eating locally is about building community, supporting regional food economies, and being empowered by cooking for yourself and your family. When you think about food in a local way, it’s a lot more natural than how we function now. Farmers markets offer direct access to growers, rather than the barriers you find in supermarkets with food packaged by companies you know little about, yet control the majority of our food supply. Education tends to work in most sectors when it comes to changing perception. When people are aware of the issues and have tools to positively impact the system (like cooking at home or participating in Meatless Monday, for example), the tides will start to shift.

AB: What are some of your favorite food activism organizations?

NG: Share Our Strength focuses on eliminating childhood hunger in the U.S, which is a silent epidemic gradually coming into the light. There’s a relatively new organization supported by Tom Colicchio called Food Policy Action that rates members of Congress based on how they vote on food policies. It’s amazing to see how your representatives have voted on certain issues. On the animal welfare front, Mercy for Animals and The Humane Society are on the front lines exposing animal abuse and our broken factory farm system.

AB: Who is a food activist that you look up to and why?

NG: Alice Waters is inspiring. She’s created an entire movement to change how we approach food in the classroom, and it all started with one garden in Berkeley.

AB: Let’s say you talk with someone who is passionate about food and wants to start taking steps to make positive change in the food world. What’s the one thing that you suggest they do?

NG: I believe in the power of small changes. Buying a few more organic groceries, incorporating more meatless meals throughout the week, and cooking more at home are all great ways to start making a difference. Over time, what began as a conscious choice (and maybe even a struggle) to change, will feel like second nature. I also think it’s important to find out what’s going on locally and get involved in some way, whether it’s volunteering with a local food organization or getting to know farmers at your weekend market.

AB: Do you feel positive about the future of food politics or not?

NG: I feel mostly positive. Even a few years ago, we weren’t having conversations about GMOs and food labeling and obesity. Now it’s a normal topic of conversation around dinner tables and in the media. People are becoming more interested in what they’re eating, where it came from, and whether or not it’s healthy. Eventually, things will change because consumers demand it.

AB: Favorite thing to make at home?

NG: My standard answer is usually risotto, but lately I’ve been enjoying composing giant salads with a lot of different flavors and textures. Sometimes there’s nothing better.

Related on EcoSalon

10 Remarkable Nonprofits You’ve Never Heard Of

United We Share: Collective Consumption for the Greater Good

Foodie Underground: Kitchen Table Connections

This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Giving Table

The post Doing Good with Food Blogs — The Giving Table: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

Changing Ethiopia one school at a time.

Access to education is something we often take for granted. In some parts of the world, a physical space for a school is a luxury. Such is the case in Ethiopia, where nonprofit imagine1day works to empower the next generation of African leaders by building schools, with a goal of all Ethiopians having access to quality education funded free of foreign aid by 2030.

Since launching in 2007 they have funded 87 primary schools and trained 1,183 teachers. But as with any nonprofit, raising funds to support their work is key, and the organization has come up with several creative ways to activate its circle of supporters, both by putting donors on the ground in Ethiopia to work with children firsthand and to encourage supporters to be “Creatributors,” harnessing the power of individual talents to fundraise in a new way

2012 marks the third year of Imagine Ethiopia, a hands on philanthropic effort that combines the talents of devoted individuals and puts them on the ground in Ethiopia to see their work through. Anyone with a passion for development and philanthropy can apply, and the organization is still taking applications for Imagine Ethiopia 2012.

We caught up with imagine1day’s Digital and Brand Leader Michelle Lazar to learn more about the organization and Imagine Ethiopia 2012.

Describe the mission and work of imagine1day.

imagine1day is a charitable organization committed to our mission of developing leaders to elevate the world. We pride ourselves in taking a unique approach to our work, both locally and on the ground in Ethiopia, and we make sure to have fun at every step of the way. In Ethiopia, we are direct implementers of educations projects, and we work hand in hand with communities who are committed and invested in education as a priority. Building a school is easy. Building a school that lasts requires vision, commitment and partnership. Through trial and error, failure and learning, we’ve developed a thoughtful and disciplined program approach with one key objective: to complete each project confident that our partners have the human and financial capacity, and the desire and drive to lead their education systems with success in perpetuity. Ultimately, our goal is that all Ethiopians have access to quality education funded free of foreign aid by 2030.

What inspired the launch of the organization?

It began as an idea…We imagined helping a nation educate its children, one by one, into a country full of promise. In 2007, imagine1day came to life, and it was decided by the Board to focus on primary education in Ethiopia. This decision was motivated by an obvious need within Ethiopia, where more than 3 million children were not in school, and the government had voiced commitment to Education, taking on the UN Millennium Development Goal of universal access to education by 2015. When Chip and Shannon Wilson endowed imagine1day, they imagined an organization that directly educated impoverished communities without corruption or loss of funds. They imagined an organization that focused on developing people and elevating communities around the world. They imagined a new generation of African leaders and a new era of prosperity. They created imagine1day with fun as its most important core value.

Imagine Ethiopia started in 2010. How did you come up with this idea for voluntourism as a key part of your organization?

Credit goes to our Executive Director, Sapna Dayal, for conceptualizing the Imagine Ethiopia program. Sapna recognized how powerful it would be for people to experience first-hand the impact of their contribution to imagine1day, and the promise and potential of Ethiopia on the whole. Each Imagine Ethiopia trip is designed around an overall objective of introducing participants to the Ethiopia that we’ve come to know and love such that they experience their own shift in perception of the country, its possibilities and themselves. We want people to come back feeling like Ambassadors to Ethiopia, imagine1day and the importance of contribution.

What benefits of this program have you seen so far?

The benefits have truly been countless. We’ve attracted incredibly loyal supporters in the form of trip participants from all across North America, and the imagine1day and Ethiopia’s story has been shared through to each of their networks. We’ve also connected to some extraordinary partners, including program sponsors and trip leaders. We feel like our family has grown by leaps and bounds since we built Imagine Ethiopia into our organization.

What are you looking forward to with Imagine Ethiopia 2012?

2012 is a big year for imagine1day, as we’re scaling our impact within Ethiopia by expanding into a new region called Oromiya. The money raised by this year’s Imagine Ethiopia Dream Team will fund one of our very first school projects in this new region, and it’s going to be a very special moment when we arrive to witness the ground breaking alongside the people who made it possible. We’re excited to venture into new territory on this trip, and it’s going to make for an incredible itinerary. We’ll be visiting the Bale Mountains, where we’ll experience a new landscape and new adventures including horseback riding, and hanging out with warthogs, nayalas, and more! We’re also thrilled to welcome Christian Santelices as a new addition to our Leader Team. Christian is a fully certified mountain guide, professional photographer, public speaker, writer, community activist, and an all around joy to be around. He will be infusing adventure and fun into the trip itinerary at every turn.

Why do you think hands on experience and philanthropic efforts go hand in hand?

We’re all about inspiring people to make passionate contributions that elevate themselves, their local community, and communities in Ethiopia. For us, we understand that it’s not always easy for people to feel connected to the impact of their contribution when so much magic is happening on the other side world. The more we can facilitate that connection, through experiences like Imagine Ethiopia, and our communications with supporters, the smaller the gap becomes. So often philanthropy/international development is positioned as “us helping them”, whereas this trip is truly a unifying experience. It is one that provides participants an opportunity to receive more than they give through a journey of personal growth.

Tell us more about your Creatributon™ program. What is it and how does it work?

imagine1day distinguishes itself as a community that expands through shared experiences and inspiring connections. We believe that charity can have a greater impact on the world by being an impetus for abundance, locally and globally. Our unconventional charitable model, which we call CREATRIBUTION™, invites people to contribute to the world by exploring their passions and their talents. On the part of imagine1day, it requires a commitment to supporting each Creatributor in being rigorously selfish about how their Creatribution will serve their life. Through Creatribution, people are discovering how their unique contribution can become their own business venture. Creatribution is a training ground for entrepreneurs to take risks, to fail, to succeed and ultimately to develop as leaders in their community. In practice, Creatributions can look like just about anything – from an unconventional art showcase, to a campaign that inspires people to choose donating in lieu of buying coffee or eating out, to an intimate house concert series where artists perform in a living room setting. It’s amazing to see how people can channel their passions and talents to create extraordinary contributions to the world.

If people can’t apply to Imagine Ethiopia, how can they support your efforts?

For those who can’t join us as part of this year’s journey, but are interested in supporting the team’s goal of raising $100,000, they can follow this link to donate to the trip goal. People can also consider taking on Creatribution™ in support of our goal. Finally, we’re always welcoming new friends and supporters with open arms, and encourage people to connect with us by way of our website, Facebook & Twitter communities.

Learn more about imagine1day and apply for Ethiopia 2012 here. 

The post Hands On Philanthropic Action: Building Schools in Ethiopia with imagine1day appeared first on EcoSalon.