Big Ideas
“ Everyday people wake up hungry in communities across Northern California. Redwood Empire Food Bank can help them. And we do. However, what we do — and how we do it — is surprisingly complicated. ”
The Curious Appetite is the Redwood Empire Food Bank’s interpretive exhibit located in the headquarter lobby in Santa Rosa, California. The Curious Appetite was created because thousands of people would visit the Redwood Empire Food Bank, each with a different interest. Because the work was complicated, discussing all of the work was simply too much information. Instead of requiring people to wade through information that was of little interest, the exhibit enabled them to follow their curiosity, addressing their greatest concerns first.
As part of the exhibit, the video selection below highlight REFB’s methods and stories of hunger.
Listen up.
The Voices Project
Over the years, I interviewed people who sought food assistance. The conversations, which lasted about an hour were edited down to 2 minutes, and succinctly captured their story. The idea was that the public often thinks of the hungry as a monolith, when in fact everyone has a unique path.When asked why the food recipient was there, the answer ranged from, "In 1968 I was in Vietnam." to "My husband left me this week, and I'm a stay at home mom with 3 children." The Voices Project provided an intimate and profound insight into the varied paths that lead to hunger.
Food for Independence
Food for Independence was created to address the financial inequity faced by people with disabilities. The aim of the program is to identify the crossroads where people with disabilities congregate, and establish food distributions in those locations and organizations. As an example, in Sonoma County, California, distributions were created at The Earle Baum Center (eyesight loss/blindness), Becoming Independent (developmentally challenged individuals), Buckalew (emotionally challenged individuals).
Food for Independence was inspired by a conversation with a staff member at Guide Dogs for the Blind. Her work was to address situations when the dog was not performing as needed. She would travel the country and assess the situation – was it the dog, the handler, or both where the problem existed. She said that the dogs are valued at approximately $60,000. She said I would be amazed at the degree of “squalor” that the people (and their dog) live in. I thought about the workplace, and how few people with disabilities I have encountered. It occurred to me that life with a disability for many is a life with little earning potential. It is the lack of opportunity and financial resources that places people with disabilities in a food line.