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Food Banks Switch Focus From Calories to Nutrition

Food Banks Switch Focus From Calories to Nutrition

Picture of Maria Gaura

In recent years it has become apparent that the poor quality of processed food is driving an epidemic of ill health in the U.S. and disproportionately affecting low-income Americans. As a local food bank official put it, "We have gone from the Cold War of too few calories to the terrorism of too many calories." A consortium of community groups, rooted in Central California's farming community, has become a leader in the search for solutions. These groups have launched a drive to fight obesity and diabetes by transforming food banks into Nutrition Banks while providing targeted education and preventive care. My Online Community Building and Health Fellowship project, undertaken with Santa Cruz Wire co-founder Tara Leonard, will be a series of stories examaning this community's ground-breaking efforts.

Announcements

The Center for Health Journalism’s two-day symposium on domestic violence will provide reporters with a roadmap for covering this public health epidemic with nuance and sensitivity. The first day will take place on the USC campus on Friday, March 17. The Center has a limited number of $300 travel stipends for California journalists coming from outside Southern California and a limited number of $500 travel stipends for those coming from out of state. Journalists attending the symposium will be eligible to apply for a reporting grant of $2,000 to $10,000 from our Domestic Violence Impact Reporting Fund. Find more info here!

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