Submitted by Associated Ministries of Tacoma
Associated Ministries and our partners with the Tacoma Interfaith Coalition are presenting “Just Food: Realizing Accessible, Affordable and Healthy Food”. This free event will be held on Sunday, September 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the University of Puget Sound Upper Marshall Hall at Wheelock Student Center. As Rabbi Bruce Kadden says, “Thinking about what we eat, and the whole process which produces the food that we eat, has never been more important. As religious communities, we need to take the leadership in thinking about food and eating in new ways.”
Emergency Food Network Executive Director, Helen McGovern-Pilant will give the keynote address followed by conversations on food justice, local farming, neighborhood action, civic leadership and food access. “Statistics show there were over 1.4 million visits to food banks and meal sites in Pierce County in 2014. Who were they? Your neighbor. The biggest increase are in senior citizens and working families with children, and this is wrong.” says Ms. McGovern-Pilant.
We hope to have everyone leave with an “action plan” on how they can help in their community. After the event you are welcome to stay and help fill backpacks for St. Leo’s Food Connection Backpack Program.
“Topics such as food, hunger, and justice may be framed differently across various spiritual, religious, and ethical traditions, but as members of a broader social context this is a set of issues that we can come together to invite conversation, reflection, and action about” states Dave Wright, University Chaplain at the University of Puget Sound. “My hope is that, drawing from our particular beliefs and practices for our own reasons for participation, we can come together to work for the wellbeing of our whole civic community.”
“Hunger is a year-round reality in our community, with visits to Pierce County food banks and hot meal sites up 70% since 2008. Identifying ways of increasing food security for everyone in our community is essential to help everyone reach their potential” according to Kevin Glackin-Coley, Director, St. Leo Food Connection.
The Tacoma Interfaith Coalition includes Associated Ministries, University of Puget Sound, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Temple Beth El, St. Leo’s Food Connection, University of Washington – Tacoma, and Tacoma Buddhist Temple.
To learn more about the event visit our Facebook page at https://facebook.com/AssociatedMinistries and sign up on our event page. For more information contact Wendy Morris at wendym@associatedministries.org or 253-383-3056 x 117.
