The U.S. Food Bank Report

Transcription

1 2012 Social Welfare Project Funded by Welfare and Medical Service Agency The U.S. Food Bank Report At St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A Written by Food Bank Yamanashi Translated by Second Harvest Asia March 2012 [ テキストの入力 ] [ テキストの入力 ] [ テキストの入力 ]

2 Preface We visited St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance (SMFBA), the birthplace of food banking and a prominent leader in food banking worldwide. Through this trip, we were able to collect a number of ideas and tips that will help us develop food banking in Japan. Food Bank Yamanashi has operated the "Food Safety Net Project" for a year and a half. This program provides "the food and bonds of friendship which sustain life" to those living in poverty who are ineligible for welfare. We worked with many organizations such as municipalities, welfare agencies, and volunteer organizations in Yamanashi prefecture to deliver food donations from corporate donors, farmers, and food drives by citizens to those in need. With this program, we seek to eliminate hunger through the in-kind food distribution program. Numerous aid and living expenses are provided through the Japanese welfare system. In September 2011, 2,060,000 people (roughly 1 in 60) received welfare support. The number of welfare recipients continues to increase each year, with total welfare expenses in 2009 shooting upwards of three trillion yen (37 billion U.S. dollars as of May 2012). In 2008, the U.S. federal government's food stamp policy expanded to place emphasis on providing nutritional support. It became SNAP, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. The sub-prime mortgage collapse of 2007 led to a drastic increase in the number of SNAP recipients; numbers topped 40 million in 2010 (approximately 1 in 8 Americans). This meant that the food supplies the impoverished receive is provided by state governments via SNAP for the half, and the remaining half is provided by about 200 publicly run food banks nationwide. The government provides inkind assistance to those in need before they enter the cash assistance programs. The government gives food to families in food insecurity. Food Bank Yamanashi would like to propose that Japan adopt America's progressive in-kind assistance system--a policy which can benefit a large number of people--as part of its social security system. Also, we will demonstrate in this report the applicable data which forms the basis of this proposal. By observing SMFBA, we've learned how to effectively communicate these figures to local communities, and we hope this proves useful in changing Japanese national policy. Lastly, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Second Harvest Japan for their hard work in making this study tour possible, and to 2

3 SMFBA who welcomed us so warmly. March 31, 2012 Yamanashi Food Bank NPO Board Chair Keiko Yoneyama 3

4 Contents PREFACE 2 ST. MARY S FOOD BANK ALLIANCE 5 I. ESTABLISHMENT 5 II. FOOD DONATIONS 6 III. TIME DONATIONS (VOLUNTEERS) 8 IV. MONEY DONATIONS (FUND RAISING) 9 V. LOCAL PARTNER BUSINESSES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND AGENCIES 10 VI. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS FOR SPECIAL TARGET GROUPS 11 VII. SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM(SNAP) 13 WHAT WE LEARNED AT ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK ALLIANCE IN ARIZONA BY HITOSHI JONO FUNDRAISING FOOD DONATIONS AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS FOOD BANKS DIFFERENT IDEAS TO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED PROPOSALS ABOUT SAFETY-NET POLICIES AND AGRICULTURAL POLICIES A GREAT VARIETY OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES 20 GREETING FROM FOOD BANK YAMASHI 21 4

5 St. Mary s Food Bank Alliance I. Establishment St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance (SMFBA) was founded in 1967, in Phoenix, Arizona. In its first year, the food bank distributed more than 100 tons of food. Today, they are the largest food bank in the country, distributing over 30,000 tons of food a year. Exterior of the program center (left); "The World's First Food Bank" (right). Founder John van Hengel (left); the St. Mary's Food Bank insignia (right). We took a look at three facilities in Phoenix: the office and program center, the value marketplace, and the Knight transportation center. The program center is where various projects are carried out, while the Knight center handles the export of goods. The value marketplace is an assembly hall where food and daily necessities can be purchased at a low price. 5

6 II. Food Donations Support from the U.S. Government The U.S. government provides two billion yen worth of food to SMFBA. An additional 200 million yen is provided to cover delivery expenses (electricity, gas, gasoline, and such). Taking the agricultural price stabilization policy as a model, the U.S. government has created a system which donates any surplus government-bought food to food banks around the country. Every four years, the U.S. government conducts an investigation of those living in poverty in order to grasp a comprehensive understanding of the situation. This helps rally support for food banking among U.S. citizens. Furthermore, Feeding America reports to the government on the effect of poverty on children, such as the correlation between children who do not get enough to eat and declining grades. Food warehouse: food products in the rear were donated by the government (left); there are also onions and other vegetables (right). Food Drives Food banks across the U.S. hold food drives, the objective of which is to both solicit for food contributions and to raise awareness of food banking. SMFBA had some fun food drive ideas. 1. Can-struction Participating groups purchase cans and then construct objects such as robots or dinosaurs with them. These are then displayed at government offices, companies, or marketplaces. Later, the cans are donated to food banks. The event is held nationally, with 2012 being the sixth time. 6

7 An example canstruction (left): the 2009 national winner (right) (photo via the Society for Marketing Professional Services). 2. Postal Service (Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive) The Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive is carried out in cooperation with 300,000 postal workers across the country. Started roughly 20 years ago at the suggestion of the postal union, it is held on the second Saturday of every May, which they call "Super Saturday." When workers deliver the mail, they also collect a bag from every mailbox packed with surplus food products. Donation Box Installation A food donation box is a box in which customers to a store can place any extra food products they have bought. The donated foods are then used to help the needy. Each business provides the PR, decides the donation period and installs the box at the front of the store. Since the donated food items are all purchased from the store, it means an increase in sales for that business. As for the food bank, it can later announce publically how many families received aid, etc. as a direct result of the program. Food donation boxes: after collection (left) and inside a store (right). 7

8 III. Time Donations (Volunteers) Varieties of Food Boxes Packed by Volunteers 40,000 boxes are shipped a month, each containing three days' worth of food. Food packages for the elderly (Bridges Reaching the Elderly and Disabled, the BREAD program) total 1,200 a month. They contain peanut butter, juice, pasta or rice, beans, cereal, canned meats, vegetables, fruits, bread milk, and frozen foods. Three varieties of food package. Left: For the elderly. Middle: Emergency support. Right: Standard box. Diverse Volunteers Private companies like US Airways have developed a system whereby people from a variety of backgrounds can actively participate in volunteering. They establish volunteer teams within the company, and organize volunteer opportunities during work hours as training experiences. Eighty volunteer organizations throughout the United States have also made it possible for people like college students or the elderly to register to volunteer through their websites, with 1,800 volunteers already signed up nationwide. Left: A woman from US Airways volunteers while wearing her company t-shirt. 8

9 Above: Two-ply paper bags filled with vegetables and bread. IV. Money Donations (Fund Raising) Last year's general donations reached 1.2 billion yen, with an additional 1.2 billion yen donated towards building construction. Each sector private, business, and administration is headed by a supervisor who sends a letter of thanks to each respective donor. A newsletter is distributed 16 times a year. They also have a Facebook page and a blog which they use to distribute information about Saint Mary s Food Bank Alliance. Occasionally, they also hold tours of the facility which promotes the continued contribution and cooperation of donors. The names of donor companies are posted on the walls of hightraffic areas. A colorful postcard for a donor says, "We couldn t have done it without you." 9

10 SMFBA gave us a desktop memo pad as a gift. The memo pad is on a small pallet that shows this is from St. Mary s Food Bank Alliance. There are also t-shirts and hats which are used for PR purposes. Difference between Donations in America & Japan America s religious cultural background means that for a great variety of people, from the wealthy to the common citizen, donating time and money is more or less another part of everyday life. Japan, on the other hand, remains largely unaware of donation practices or volunteer activities. V. Local Partner Businesses, Organizations, and Agencies Development team at SMFBA values face-to-face trusting relationships with local partners. SMFBA tries to help partner corporations with their building a corporate identity. In terms of money contributions, SMFBA asks for about two to three dollars (200 to 300 yen) a month from organization members and 10 to 20 dollars (1,000 to 2,000 yen) a month from its board directors. The donors can use credit cards. In America, the annual average contribution of an individual is 50 times higher than that of Japan (3,000 yen in Japan, 130,000 yen in America). Partner Companies Target Target has 1,400 stores nationwide including 160 stores in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Texas. They carry 5,000 different varieties of food products. They ship products to 37 different locations. Target carries mainly organic food. Coca Cola We visited their largest-scale factory in the country. 160 employees volunteer at SMFBA. 10

11 A visit to Target s corporate offices (left); meeting with partner agencies (right) VI. Additional Programs for Special Target Groups 1. Community Kitchen This kitchen program is designed to help "socially underprivileged people such as the homeless seek employment in the food service industry, providing them with both qualifications and training." The program has a kitchen and a small-scale restaurant in the facility. The program is carried out for 16 weeks (4 months) with seven to eight participants at a time. For over 10 years, this program has continued to provide the community with over 125,000 meals. A graduate who is now employed in an airport restaurant (left); the program's kitchen (right). 11

12 A salad made by program participants (left); inside the restaurant (right). 2. Kid's Cafe Kid's Cade is a program to end child hunger in Arizona by providing meals thoroughly monitored for nutrition and quality. A family income check is not required for participation in the program. They only require one s postal code to confirm residency twice a month--even disclosing your birthdate is a matter of personal discretion. In a study, 54% of children participating in the program had their grades improve once they started eating meals regularly. When asked to evaluate their children s performance, 77% of parents answered that their children s learning ability and comprehension had increased. With its "Summer Feeding Program" which provides daily breakfast and lunch (and depending on the case, dinner), SMFBA now provides 11,000 meals a week. 3. Value Marketplace This is SMFBA's original program, one which is open to all local residents. This program aims to supply necessities at a low price for those in need and for partner agencies. They carry not only foodstuffs like vegetables, fruit, and bread, but also other daily necessities. Since SMFBA is located in an area with few supermarkets, those unable to drive were previously forced to take a bus downtown to go shopping. Thus, the marketplace has now become an important place for locals living in need. 12

13 Daily necessities inside the marketplace (left); refrigerated fruits and frozen meats (right). VII. Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program(SNAP) This program is officially called The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but is commonly known as SNAP. In Arizona, they call it Nutrition Assistance (NA) for short. It provides assistance to low-income earners or those without a source of income so they can purchase nutritionally balanced food. The key feature of this program is that recipients are not given cash, but instead are given a debit card which can only be used to buy foodstuffs. (It cannot be used to buy tobacco products, alcohol, and clothing.) As of January 2010, 431,000 households in Arizona receive SNAP. Since 36% of those are low-income households, it is safe to say that employment in no way guarantees a life free from poverty. Interviews at booths (left); SNAP booth tended by government officials (right). 13

14 The state government officials are permanently stationed within the SMFBA facilities. At SMFBA, you need to be interviewed to receive food, and if you hope to receive SNAP, you also can be interviewed by the government official at SMFBA. What We Learned at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance in Arizona by Hitoshi Jono Preface I believe there are several hurdles we need to overcome in order to develop food banking in Japan. Thanks to the wonderful four days we spent at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance in Phoenix, Arizona, we gained a bright outlook about what to do to overcome those hurdles. In this report, I would like to explain about the training in five primary fields that Food Bank Yamanashi (and all other food banks in Japan) should work on. 1. Fundraising Food Bank Yamanashi relies on grants from the government sector and foundations for about 90 percent of its funding. We raise money from individuals and the private sector for only about 10 percent of our budget. For expanding our operations, we need to broaden our funding source to community members, corporations, public funds, and such to receive more individual donations and membership fees. Other than fundraising, I think getting more food donors and volunteers are the key to the growth of food banks. St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance (SMFBA) received $18,123,788 in 2011 for its revenue, in which donations from community members and corporations add up to $11,147,431 (61 percent). Here are some tips from the staff members of SMFBA's philanthropy team on how to raise money consistently. Set an annual goal. In SMFBA's case, it was about $12 million including donations from individuals and grants. Even with a small goal, it's important to work toward it consistently. It's important to express gratitude to donors each time. First, by phone call, and then via letter and . Thank them many times. 14

15 "Donor Touch": You need to appreciate the donor's action and thank them for it. Say, "Thank you for supporting our community." This shows that we thank donors for not just supporting a food bank, but also supporting the community together. SMFBA sends out 16 newsletters each year to the total of 18,000 people. Postage is paid at nonprofit rates. Ask corporate donors to match contributions. When their employees donate $10 to SMFBA, the employer also donates $10. Give small gifts like notepads with SMFBA's logo and contact information to donors as a token of appreciation. Something they constantly see is good. Stories are important. Tell them how their $10 will make a difference in people's lives. For example, one in four children in Arizona lives below the poverty line. Your dollar can provide seven meals to those children. The role of board members is important. Expand your network through board members to raise money. Cause-related marketing: this is a marketing approach in which a company gives a part of the proceeds to a charity. For example, you can order a certain menu at a restaurant to donate a certain percentage of the price to a charity. By doing this, socially aware consumers will purchase more of your products, and therefore your sales will increase even if you donate a part of the proceeds. At some supermarkets' cashiers, you can donate to a food bank with credit cards. Girl scout cookies: SMFBA have children involved in fundraising. They can make fundraising more effective. Ask your local television to spread the word. Have a celebrity solicit donations and/or donate money. It influences his/her fans. How about asking Ichiro to wear the logo of your food bank? As you see above, SMFBA asks corporations and individuals to donate through different channels and thanks them thoroughly once they receive donations. Also, SMFBA explains to donors in concrete terms about the situation in the poor areas and how a donor's one dollar can make a difference there. I learned that those detailed and thorough efforts lead to a large amount of donations. On SMFBA's website, you can donate very easily with a credit card. And again, you receive a quick thank-you from SMFBA when you make a contribution to them. 15

16 2. Food Donations and the Legal System that Supports Food Banks There are three major reasons that corporations and farmers donate a large amount of food to food banks in the U.S.: 1. The Good Samaritan Act: food donors are not held liable in case of accidents. 2. Tax deductions for food donors, particularly corporations and farmers. 3. The common rule about extension of expiration dates: by complying with special rules about storing conditions, you can provide food that is expired but still consumable. Expired doesn't mean non-edible. As for # 1, under Japanese laws, there is a possibility that food donors can be liable for an accident like food poisoning even when their food was donated to a food bank and therefore, their ownership moved to the food bank. This is because of the Product Liability Law. (Plus, accidents can seriously damage their brand as well.) I believe this is one of the major reasons that many corporations hesitate to donate to food banks in Japan. In the U.S., food donations are protected under Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act, which was derived from the so-called Good Samaritan Act. It says that those who voluntarily help somebody in a disaster or in sickness with good intentions should be free from liability even should they fail to help. Under this law, a donor who gave food that ended up causing a problem will not be liable in regards to the result as long as it was not a case of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. In Japanese law, the food donor is the one who has to prove that there was not gross negligence. This is a big burden of proof for the food donor. Regarding # 2, in the U.S. tax system, a food donor can receive a tax benefit which is up to twice of the cost. In Japan, there were some efforts by the Committee for Nonprofit Tax and Legal System Reforms and other groups like SEEDS proposing that the maximum deduction 16

17 on donations should be lifted to 10 percent of a donor's income, and that all the value of in-kind donations should be included in tax deductions. Last, on the subject of # 3, Feeding America, the national network of about 200 food banks in the U.S., negotiated with the government to create a rule about how many days a food bank can extend the expiration date of foods in major categories under proper storing conditions. As long as a food bank complies with the storing conditions, the food bank can provide food within a certain amount of days after its expiration date. This greatly helps food banks receive a large amount of food donations. Also, it should be noted that food banks usually have large-scale refrigeration and freezing systems so that they can store expired food for a long time. According to Second Harvest Japan's report about San Francisco Food Bank in 2011, for example, the food bank can store cereals for 12 months and pasta for two years after their respective expirations. Also, it mentions if you freeze breads right after their expiration, you can store them for a long time. In Japanese law, the definition of an expiration date is "the date by which the quality of the food is sustained safely as long as the food is stored in a specified manner." This "expiration date" defined by Food Hygiene Law and Japan Agricultural Standards Law (JAS Law) has to be used with food items that tend to last longer, such as snacks, frozen food, diary items, canned goods, and sodas. This is for a manufacturer to guarantee that it tastes good up until the date, and it does not mean the quality of the food worsens right after the date. Therefore, I believe it is possible for the government, the food industry, and food banks to create a national rule regarding food expiration dates without changing laws. Once the rule is created, along with a law like Bill Emerson Act, food banks would see a great increase in food donations. 17

18 We saw cakes and breads as donations at SMFBA. 3. Different Ideas to Get the Community Involved SMFBA comes up with different ideas to encourage all kinds of people from the community from children to the elderly to get involved in supporting the food bank. Here are some important or unique efforts about food drives we heard at SMFBA. (Food drives are events to collect food from the community several times a year.) Food drive tips Make a list of food items you need and ask for donations based on the list. Thank donors individually. At schools, award students according to the amount they collected. Can-struction is an event where participants build a statue or work of art with cans at public places like a city hall or supermarket. Architects and designers sometimes give advice, and they often build very well-designed art. Many corporations like Bank of America cooperate with students' food drives throughout the country. Supermarkets and grocery stores put food collection boxes in their buildings for a short time. Food banks usually bring the boxes or bins. Some stores prepare their own boxes. For stores, there are two major benefits: 1) publicity about their contribution to the community, and 2) customers feel good about shopping at their stores. It's important to not just indicate how much food the supporters collected, but also explain how much food was supplied to those in need along with sincere messages of gratitude. SMFBA uses video messages to inform people about the situations of poor children. I saw children on the video saying thank you for the food they received. You can watch the videos on the SMFBA website. 18

19 These tips tell us that we should be creative in offering opportunities for volunteers to enjoy food drives. Additionally, getting mass media on board when we hold food drives is important. 4. Proposals about Safety-net Policies and Agricultural Policies One of the reasons that food banking in the U.S. has grown this much is the food banks' history of repeatedly proposing safety-net and agricultural policies to the government. One good example of government-food bank cooperation is the food stamp system, which is a major hunger-alleviation program in the U.S. The food stamp system is called the Supplementary Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). Currently, one in eight Americans receives food stamps. It was the 1960s when food banking started in the U.S. In the economic downturn since the Vietnam War, government budgeting for food stamps has been stretched thin. Since then, food banking has grown to be a main hunger-alleviation strategy. According to SMFBA's financial report, 96 percent of both monetary and in-kind donations went to people in need. The remaining four percent was used for fundraising (2.1 percent) and administration (1.7 percent). This is extremely efficient compared to Japan's welfare system, which provides cash assistance to the needy. All of this efficiency is possible largely because SMFBA depends on volunteers so that they can save human resource costs in addition to their creative approaches to food drives and legal and tax systems mentioned above. We had a meeting with representatives from the State government. The second, third, and fourth persons from the left are the government officials. 19

20 5. A Great Variety of Volunteer Opportunities Volunteerism is active in the U.S. An American spends one to several hours in volunteering per week. It is often said that people in the U.S. developed, in response to their pioneering history and Christian background, a culture of supporting communities as volunteers instead of expecting the government to take care of communities. But the cultural background is not the only driving force. Nonprofits are creating different mechanisms to encourage people to engage in volunteering. For example, we saw a high-school student who told us that it makes it easier to get admitted to a college and get scholarships after volunteering and getting trained as a volunteer leader at SMFBA. This is a college student volunteer. Sitting in the back of the room, she guides a client to a booth when it's his/her turn. In Japan, there are fewer volunteering opportunities that help young people get admitted to a college or get a job than in the U.S. What I would like to suggest to the Yamanashi local government is that the government and smaller municipalities under it create a system in which job applicants' volunteer experiences and community involvements are evaluated as a primary part of the hiring process. We would have volunteer-minded applicants. This would lead to higher community involvement and volunteer participation among young people, and to the development of sociallyaware talent. The original document contained an itinerary that is not included in this translation. 20

21 Greeting from Food Bank Yamashi A message to St. Mary s Food Bank Alliance from Keiko Yoneyama, The Executive Director and Founder of Food Bank Yamanashi in Japan. We deeply appreciate SMFBA for giving us the training. I am the executive director of Food Bank Yamanashi in Japan. I look forward to visiting your organization, the world s first and highly-respected food bank. We are accompanied by Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) Executive Director Charles E. McJilton and his associate Yusuke Wada from Second Harvest Asia. I hope that this visit will help the development of the food banking in Japan. In Japan, while 2HJ is the nation s first and largest food bank with many donors and supporters, there are few other food banks that have the stable management and secure foundation like 2HJ does. It is very important for food banks in Japan to work with each other closely to be more successful. In Japan, we have probably the world s highest rate of food loss. This is because of Japanese consumers' perfectionism about food qualities and food suppliers following the consumers' demand. We believe that this means that there are large potentials for the development food banks in Japan. However, Japan doesn't have a charitable culture like the U.S. and public awareness about food banking and the hunger issue is not strong in Japan. Through this visit, we hope to bring back knowledge to establish a strong food banking system in Japan. We deeply appreciate your kindness and generosity for having us. Thank you very much! Sincerely yours, Keiko Yoneyama Executive Director and founder of Food Bank Yamanashi 21

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25 The U.S. Food Bank Report at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A Written by Food Bank Yamanashi Sunshine Building 1F, Ogasawara 317, Minami Alps, Yamanashi Japan TEL/FAX: URL: 25