PMA Foodservice Conference & Exposition exhibitors donate produce

Volunteers from The Food Bank for Monterey County, Salinas, Calif., assembled and loaded 14,835 pounds of produce – the average weight of a bus – donated by exhibitors at the end of Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Foodservice Conference & Exposition.

The USDA reports that more than 16 million U.S. children are living in food-insecure household, and more than 29,000 of families with those children are in Monterey County. Leslie Sunny, the food bank’s executive director, said that the 2010 Hunger Study conducted in Monterey County found an estimated 88,700 different people are served annually by the food bank, which is one-fifth of the county.

According to Feeding America, the national network of food banks that The Food Bank for Monterey County belongs to and the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the U.S., the number of children their network serves has increased by 50 percent since 2006. Feeding America’s recent report, Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2012, finds 27 percent of Monterey County’s children suffering from food insecurity. Although individuals at any age risk negative health consequences as a result of insufficient nutrition, the study points out that food insecurity can be particularly harmful among children because of increased vulnerability and the potential for long-term consequences.

Following the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPlate icon, the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion (CNPP) announced a multilevel partnership program to promote these messages at national, regional and community levels throughout the country. Feeding America was chosen among more than 80 other organizations as CNPP National Strategic Partners. As part of the Feeding America network, The Food Bank for Monterey County’s recent receipt of the this large donation of fresh fruits and vegetables not only presents an opportunity to spread the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines to fill “Half the Plate” with fruits and vegetables, but also puts that healthy step into action for the children, their families and all the individuals the food bank serves.

To learn more about The Food Bank for Monterey County, visit www.foodbankformontereycounty.org. Visit www.pma.com to learn more about the Produce Marketing Association.