It’s a sad paradox...too often the cheapest food for low income families, is the least healthy. Today, we saw how a shift toward giving fresh fruits and vegetables is going over in Reno, starting at one of the free lunches offered to kids on summer vacation. Fresh fruit and vegetables...that's what they were serving the kids at Oppio Park in Sparks today in the summer lunch program. Besides the big salads, and the bananas...and watermelon today, everyone there got zucchini, whether they wanted it or not. 16-year old Susan Moreno was not a fan, of the zucchini: "It tastes weird. Well it’s not cooked, not cooked."
But it’s a welcome change from the white bread standbys. The food bank says they'd like a lot more…but the good healthy eats are harder to get. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada’s Jocelyn Lantrip said, "It is difficult to source fresh produce that's local."
Across town, we saw another example of a shift toward the greens. Pamela Mayne of the Reno Gleaning Project couldn't stand the waste she saw from fruit rotting away in Reno yards, so she made a fruit catcher out of a painter's pole. In her nice outfit, she’s out there collecting fruit with her homemade tool: "Yes, I keep this in my car from July to December. I’m in the yards, it's a common occurrence."
This Reno Robin Hood has a list of homeowners who let her in. She picked a box of apricots from a house in north Reno. She brings it all to the Hands Of Hope Food Bank, where it doesn't stay for long. She's been bringing fruit there for 6 years, and says they've never been busier: "And I don't think there will ever be a decrease in the need for people to eat fresh fruit and vegetables."
Back at the park, Jocelyn Lantrip sees no drop off in need either. In Washoe County, a full 47% of students still qualify for free lunches at school. Lower unemployment rates are deceiving. People are working, she says, "But they're working less. They're working part-time, they're making less money, so they're still struggling."
Victorian Upton is a good example. While her kids devour their lunch, she is thankful. How much food does she have at home? "Just enough, you know? Just enough to get them through and this really helps out a lot, you know? Kids are always hungry.”
Pamela and Jocelyn say it's not enough to give someone a can of food anymore. For good health, you really have to have the greens. As Pamela told us, "I think this is the best produce on earth. You really can't do better than homegrown food."
We should mention that Pamela Mayne only goes to yards to collect fruit from those who give her permission…many homeowners would rather it go to the needy than rot away in their yards. If you would like to donate some fruit from your trees, we have a link to the Reno Gleaning Project here:
