On October 19, Noel Chavez, PhD, RD, Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the University Of Illinois School Of Public Health interviewed Kim Prendergast, MS, RD, the Manager of nutrition services at America’s Second Harvest – the Nation’s Food Bank Network. The purpose of the interview was to learn about the organizations efforts in responding to the recent hurricanes in the Gulf area. As the nation’s largest network of food banks, America’s Second Harvest is the cornerstone of the emergency food system in the U.S.
Dr. Chavez: Could you please outline America’s Second Harvest’s response to Hurricane Katrina?
Ms. Prendergast: As of November 16th, 1825 truckloads of food /grocery products valued at about $84 million have been sent to the disaster areas. In the last several weeks, the network has moved about three times the amount of food and grocery product normally distributed during this period of the year. The majority of the product has come from corporate donations, and in many cases has been different types of product – first run product that wouldn’t have been donated - than what America's Second Harvest generally receives. We have found that donors and individuals have been very generous. Our organization has raised nearly $27 million in cash and pledges. There is always an outpouring of support, but for immediate relief, cash is more important to help purchase products close to the disaster sites and decrease the cost of transportation.
Dr. Chavez: What have they been doing to help re-establish area food banks?HIGXYZ4HIGZYX
Ms. Prendergast: There are five food banks primarily responsible for distributing food in the affected area. The New Orleans food bank facility suffered damage and was inaccessible due to flooding, so America's Second Harvest worked with them to open a temporary distribution site in a vacant warehouse in Baker, LA. The Baton Rouge food bank did heroic efforts to support the additional needs of the area. All five America's Second Harvest food banks in Louisiana are now operational. In Theodore, Alabama, the Bay Area Food Bank sustained some damage but was able to continue to serve the community. They have made lots of information about hurricane relief efforts, including photos and the Executive Director’s blog, available on their website at www.bayareafoodbank.org. The Jackson, MS food bank was the primary distributor for Mississippi. There were 42 food banks nationwide that were involved in disaster relief, and many of the others sent trucks, drivers, and staff to help [There are 208 total banks in their network]. Various food banks also sent some of their product. All of the affected food banks are in operation now.
Dr. Chavez: What lessons have been learned through the experience?
Ms. Prendergast: America's Second Harvest has hired an additional staff person to support the network during the ongoing response to the hurricane and to help our members prepare in advance for future disasters. While disaster planning is something that all our food banks continuously work on, this year’s hurricane season has heightened the awareness for the need for disaster planning and identifying the role of the food bank as part of the larger community response. America's Second Harvest has also made good use of the outpouring of volunteer support around the country. F&N section members can go to the America's Second Harvest website at to find their local food bank if they want to volunteer locally. As nutrition professionals, there is a lot we can do as volunteers to help food banks and affected areas. This disaster also showed the food banks ways they can use volunteers more creatively, such as in nutrition education, food safety training and to help with planning for disasters, etc.
Dr. Chavez: How was America's Second Harvest able to manage the continuing needs of other food banks in the network?
Ms. Prendergast: The team worked very hard; they pulled volunteers into the national office to coordinate the relief efforts. They now have hired staff to coordinate volunteers, and another to assist with disaster relief on the ground. America's Second Harvest has agreements with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide emergency food relief during times of disaster and our staff has been part of disaster services at the federal level coordinate and provide help that is needed. In order to help their network food banks who weren’t affected by the disaster, we have continued to utilize our new electronic food distribution system to make food donations available and continue to serve the regular needs of our members.
Dr. Chavez: What can we (as F&N section members, food and nutrition professionals) do?
Ms. Prendergast: It is a challenge for food banks and other not for profit organizations. With a disaster, attention shifts to that event. This disaster has highlighted the issue of hunger and poverty, and has given all of us an opportunity to capture Congressional and public interest in hunger and poverty. She would urge F&N section members to get involved with legislative and other efforts especially with regard to Food Stamps. There is greater public will to support Food Stamps and other programs at present. Another challenge is that a disaster shifts focus from the food and hunger needs in unaffected areas. The disaster took some resources from other food banks in that they spent some of their own dollars to help the banks in the disaster areas. So, having food drives, giving money, etc. locally are even more important now. They can use food drive items to replace what the banks sent to the relief effort. It is important for us all to think about the big picture.