On October 28th at Catch restaurant in the West Village of New York City, a parade of models, dressed in this season’s best, came together for a fabulous photo shoot in support of AmpleHarvest.org.
“AmpleHarvest.org envisions an America where millions of gardeners eliminate malnutrition and hunger in their own community, using only their backyard gardens.” -Gary Oppenheimer, Founder of AmpleHarvest.org.
When the AmpleHarvest.org website was launched in May 2009, approximately 38 million Americans were listed as food insecure (defined as people who either do not have enough or are at real risk of not having enough food for their families). According to US government statistics, released only six months later, that number increased to nearly 49 (and now more than 50) million people, or one out of every six Americans. These people often rely on one of the estimated 33,000+ local food pantries in America to help meet the nutritional needs of their families.
Unlike your local supermarket, whose daily food deliveries allow it to stock and sell fresh produce, the less frequent deliveries by food banks to food pantries means that only canned fruit and vegetables can usually be provided to most food pantries. Because canned vegetables are often processed with extra salt and fruit with a sugary syrup, either of which can contribute to future health problems (high weight or blood pressure, diabetes, etc), some have suggested that the availability of fresh produce at food pantries, through the AmpleHarvest.org campaign, may help to lower future health care costs in America.
AmpleHarvest.com is working to teach Americans to value our resources, especially fresh food, as the treasure it really is. AmpleHarvest.org’s mission is to diminish hunger in America by educating, encouraging and enabling gardeners to donate their excess harvest to those in need in their community, instead of allowing it to rot in the garden.
“AmpleHarvest.org does not feed a hungry family one meal. Instead, it diminishes hunger and malnutrition permanently and does it by using healthy food already available in the community.” -Gary Oppenheimer, Founder of AmpleHarvest.org.
One out of six Americans (including a quarter of all children under six) does not have access to healthy fresh food at their food pantry. The AmpleHarvest.org campaign is a national effort that enables 40+ million Americans who grow food in home gardens to easily donate their excess harvest. All My Friends Are Models encourages its readers to visit AmpleHarvest.org, and donate the excess goods from their gardens to one of the 7,045 food pantries associated with AmpleHarvest.org.
Not a gardener or growing food at the moment? Click here to learn what you can do right now.
AmpleHarvest.org needs your support. A donation to AmpleHarvest.org will help 1,500 additional food pantries nationwide reduce hunger and diet related problems such as childhood obesity and Type II diabetes next year.
Learn more about AmpleHarvest.org here.
