Creating Hunger Free Communities

Situation:  Today 49 million – or 1 in 8 Americans — is food insecure – that is – they don’t know where their next meal is going to come from.  This staggering figure represents a 46% increase since 2006.

Challenge: Instead of trying to end hunger at the national level, can we tackle the problem at the local level by creating hunger free communities, community by community, until we create a patchwork of hunger free communities across America?  What is needed? How do we build a community where its members know someone is in need of food and can help them? A community where someone who is food insecure can receive support.

Goal:  Three-five powerful, impactful ideas that can be implemented this year to create a hunger free community.

Discussion Questions:

• What is a community? What makes a community connected – where people know each other, respect each other, look out for one another?
• What would make a community hunger free – e.g., all members have jobs to pay for food, all members have access to low cost, healthy food.
• What does it mean to be a hunger-free community? Is it where absolutely no one is ever hungry or is it where only a small percentage – e.g., under 5% — are food insecure at any given time?
• What is needed to make a community hunger-free (as defined above) both for those who are food insecure and those who never worry about food scarcity – e.g., adopt a buddy system – buddies look out for each other and alert others if their buddy needs food, community gardening, etc.  What else? Consider skills, resources, capabilities
• Is there an innovation, a capability that is yet to be leveraged or built — that would help make – and keep — a community hunger free – e.g., an early warning system or a 911 equivalent to report food insecurity?
• Once established, how is the hunger-free community maintained? Replicated in other parts of the country?
• How do we get people involved to create this hunger-free community?
• How would we know a community is hunger-free?  What do they need to participate, contribute to the building and sustaining of this hunger-free community?
• Of all the ideas created, which four-five are the most impactful, powerful and why?

Humanizing Hunger Through Data

Situation: There is no shortage of data about the issue of hunger. Data is collected everyday about how many people are food insecure, what they look like, and the impact that food insecurity has on local communities and our country.  There is historical, geographic and forecasting data.  Aside from some key statistics, most of the detailed information is only shared and used by the governments and organizations assisting the food insecure.

Challenge:  What would happen if that data was shared and made accessible to a broader audience, to tell the story of hunger in America, to drive action, find solutions and end hunger in America once and for all?  How should it be presented and what information can be gleaned from it?

Goal: Three-five powerful, impactful ideas that can be implemented this year to humanize the issue of hunger, drive activism, and foster ideation?

Discussion Questions:

• What is data and what are the forms that data can be represented?
• Are some forms more advantageous for certain tasks – e.g., interactive data for policy makers, solution creators; visual for advocacy, activation? If so, which forms and for what task?
• What types of hunger related information/data should be shared to drive action? To drive analysis for solution creation? – e.g., number of food insecure, profile of food insecure, geographic location of food insecure, cause and effect of anti-hunger programs? To measure the progress against the goal of ending hunger in America?
• Who can and should create this data/information?
• How should this information be represented – e.g., graphically? Interactively, etc.?
• What’s the most impactful way to humanize the plight and generate interest, commitment and action?
• When and how should data be shared? And with whom?  For what purposes?  How do we get people like you, outside of SXSW to take action to end hunger in America?  How do we share at points?
• What is needed to gather, storyboard and share the data?
• Of all the ideas created, which four-five are the most impactful, powerful and why?

Accelerating Local Advocacy

Situation: Every community is different and hunger is intensely localized in its impact. But all communities trying to address the issue of hunger need help: with organization (staff, volunteers, donors, etc.), advocacy (research, policy) and resources (funding, tools, etc.)

Challenge: How can we help local communities accelerate local advocacy and action, better identify people/families in need, and collaborate, share learnings, expertise and resources with other communities?  Develop strategies and tools to meet local needs.  Recommend ways to share learnings, needs, expertise across communities.

Goal:  Three-five powerful, impactful ideas that can be implemented this year to jumpstart local advocacy.

Discussion:

• What is required to accelerate local advocacy and action?  What actions can be taken to get people involved in local advocacy?  Are there barriers and if so, what are they and how do we overcome them?
• What information, resources do local communities need?
• How can local organizations become more connected, in real time, to other organizations, communities that share similar challenges, demographics to learn from and support each other?
• Are there tools that would help local organizations to organize, activate, advocate?
• Can a universal local hunger policy or commitment be created that can accelerate action?  If so, what would it look like? What are the components to that policy or commitment?  Who would be responsible for crafting and advocating for it’s passage/adoption?  What are the challenges and how would we overcome those challenges?
• Of all the ideas created, which four-five are the most impactful, powerful and why?