Food banks are a lifeline for people who suffer from food insecurity. They provide food to individuals, save seniors and families money on their budgets, provide a helping hand to those facing hardships, and ensure that the homeless are nourished.
However, food bank clients can face challenges in making good use of the food they receive. These obstacles range from practical issues (such as not having access to cooking equipment or not knowing how to cook) to more systemic barriers, all of which contribute to the complex nature of food insecurity.
I spoke with Charles Huff, director of food security at the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. Neighbors do the cooking On Facebook, they came up with an innovative approach to address at least some of these barriers with humor and love by creating weekly recipes showcasing the foods that will be distributed.
The Center’s Community Food Bank, which serves food every Thursday from 5-7pm at 610 S. Belardo Road in Palm Springs, is committed to meeting the needs of not only LGBTQ+ individuals and families, but everyone facing food insecurity in the valley. Each week, a dedicated team of volunteers and Center staff assemble and distribute food boxes to approximately 275 families in need.
“We do not discriminate against anyone based on sexual orientation, race or skin color,” Huff said. “We recently eliminated the wait list to join our food bank. Anyone who is hungry and wants food needs it right now, and wait lists don’t help anyone.”
Many food bank clients lack the skills and knowledge to cook – they may not have had the opportunity to learn how to cook due to generational poverty, lack of education or other socio-economic factors.
“When I moved to the valley I used the food bank so this is just one way I can give back,” Battersby says. “Every week Charles sends me a list of ingredients and I start thinking about what I can make with them. We use everything in the bag and try to give people ideas on how to make use of what they’ve received without having to buy other things.”This process ensures the recipes are practical and tailored to the recipient’s needs.
When it comes to donated food, cultural knowledge can also be a challenge.
“We were handing out boxes with two bunches of bok choy in them at our offices at Coachella, and people had no idea what to do with it,” Huff says. “Mitch’s recipes give people ideas on how to use ingredients they might not be familiar with.”
Recipes created by Battersby will be distributed with every food box and via Battersby’s and the centre’s social media accounts.
“Staff and community members will stop me and say, ‘I saw a recipe Mitch posted online and I tried it,’ and it really brings us all closer,” Huff says.
Huff doesn’t know what’s coming into the truck until a few hours before deliveries begin. Most of the fresh produce comes from the FIND food bank, but the rest comes from a variety of sources, including individuals, community food drives and local grocers and bakeries. Every week brings challenges and surprises, and that’s where Battersby’s experience comes in handy.
“Each box will tend to have similar contents each week so we think about what recipes we’ll write and adjust accordingly,” Battersby said. “We want to help people get nutritious and tasty food but also to add variety to their diet.”
For more information about the Center Community Food Bank, visit thecentercv.org. For more information about Mitchell Battersby’s cooking show, visit facebook.com/NeighborsCooking.
